A bid to turn a prominent building in an Isle of Wight seaside town into a ‘high-quality’ new hotel has prompted flood risk concerns.
Dr Malik is looking to convert the former Terminus Hotel at 70 and 70A St Johns Road in Ryde, which has fallen into a poor state of repair.
As well as ten bedrooms, plans would see the hotel fitted with a guest lounge and dining area.
Holbrook Architectural Services, the applicant’s agent, previously said the proposed development is ‘acceptable’ in flood risk terms and complies with national planning policy objectives.
Writing to County Hall, the Environment Agency (EA) said that without an adequate flood risk assessment (FRA), it objects to the application.
Its representation said the submitted FRA does not comply with the requirements for site-specific FRAs and does not adequately assess whether the development will increase flood risk elsewhere.
The EA highlighted that the FRA ‘fails’ to take the impacts of climate change into account.
It said different climate change allowances have been used to assess future flood risk than those advised.
The public body said that to overcome its objection, the applicant should submit a revised FRA addressing its points.
Holbrook Architectural Services previously said the EA’s long-term flood risk assessment identifies the location as having very low risk from rivers, the sea and surface water as well as no identified groundwater and reservoir flood risk.
