By Bruce Sinclair
A bid to turn disused office space in a Welsh town into homes has been turned down, with flood risk a key concern. Hugh Davies made the proposal to Ceredigion County Council via agent Bell Designs for repurposing the surplus office area at Cardigan Bathroom Centre on The Strand into residential space and to add an office extension on the ground floor. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . In his statement, Mr Davies explained: “We moved into Cardigan Bathrooms Centre back in 2008 and originally the area above the main showroom was to be used for light storage. “This proved completely impractical as due to the fact that it was on a first floor and that carrying stock up and down the stairs was a health and safety nightmare.” He continued: “Since that time we have built and are now using a large storeroom adjacent to the showroom and we have the small items stocked on the ground floor of the main building.” Additionally, he revealed attempts to lease out the space: “We have tried unsuccessfully to rent out as office space, but we have been unsuccessful, we surmise due to the large availability within Cardigan town. “For that reason we feel that it is far better to convert the area to residential use.” However, the proposal was rejected according to a council officer’s report which acknowledged the reasoning behind the change of use but highlighted several failure points in the plan. The report highlighted that the affordable housing policy requires a 10 per cent open market value commuted sum through a Section 106 legal agreement, noting: “The applicant has not agreed to enter into a Section 106 agreement to contribute towards affordable housing and the proposal does not comply [with policy].” Furthermore, it mentioned that while Natural Resources Wales had no objections to the residential unit being on the first floor, the development is still considered highly vulnerable in a flood zone. “Consequently, while NRW has raised no objection specifically relating to the first-floor residential unit, the Local Authority must consider the wider flood risk implications for the entire building. “This assessment is made in accordance with TAN 15 and local flood risk policies, with particular regard to the acceptability of highly vulnerable development within Flood Zone 3. “Therefore, the LPA does not deem this highly vulnerable development acceptable given the flooding risks.” The refusal of the application was based on several grounds, including its classification as a highly vulnerable development in a Flood Zone, the lack of a contribution to affordable housing, and the absence of essential ecological information such as a Pollution Prevention Plan and a Lighting Plan.