Business · Swindon
Former Thames Water offices in Swindon earmarked for 110-flat conversion
By Swindon Now Editorial Team · Published
A planning application has been submitted to transform the former Thames Water office building in Kembrey Park into 110 self-contained flats.
Plans have been submitted to Swindon Borough Council to convert the former Thames Water office building at Kembrey Park into 110 residential flats. The application, filed by Flower Estates Walnut Ltd, seeks prior approval to repurpose the site, which has stood empty since the utility company relocated its operations to Newbridge Square in the town centre.
The proposed development at Walnut Court aims to transform the purpose-built office building, dating from the late 1980s or early 1990s, into a residential complex across its existing ground and first floors. Plans include the addition of two two-bedroom units within the basement level, with the total residential provision organised into three linked wings across the 5.71-acre plot.
The site sits within a mixed-use business park environment that already includes a variety of offices, industrial units, and several buildings that have previously been converted for residential use. Amenities in the immediate vicinity include a Tesco Extra, Rise Fitness, and Trenchers Café, situated approximately two miles from the town centre and railway station.
Infrastructure plans accompanying the application outline the retention of existing vehicular access from Kembrey Park, with no new connections to the public highway proposed. The developer has committed to providing 177 car parking spaces within the existing surface car parks, alongside 117 cycle spaces housed in dedicated storage sheds. A communal refuse area featuring 16 containers has also been specified.
In its assessment of the proposal, the developer noted that the conversion plans share similarities in materials and scale with those previously approved by the council at Cherry Orchard West. The submission also includes a site-specific flood risk assessment, which identifies the area as being within Flood Zone 1, indicating a low probability of flooding.
The local authority is currently evaluating the application, which will consider several factors including transport impacts, safety of site access, noise levels from surrounding commercial premises, and the provision of adequate natural light for the proposed units. Traffic projections included in the submission suggest that the residential conversion would likely result in fewer vehicle movements during peak hours compared to the building's former use as an office complex.
Source: Swindon Advertiser - Lifestyle · View original