PLANS to build homes and offices on London Road Industrial Estate in Newbury have been rejected due to concerns about the risk of flooding.

The Planning Inspectorate has dismissed an appeal from developers who want to demolish the vacant Newspaper House building in Faraday Road and build 71 flats and offices.

The developer claimed the site, which is near the River Kennet, is in Flood Zone 2 (medium probability of flooding) and there is “no alternative site” for the development, that would create much-needed homes and jobs.

READ MORE: Will West Berkshire return to Tier 1?

But the Planning Inspectorate states that it is actually in Flood Zone 3 (high probability of flooding) and “there could be sites elsewhere in the district, in areas of lesser flood risk which could provide similar benefits.”

It is not on the 27.5 acre site that has been earmarked for a major redevelopment by West Berkshire Council, but it is right next to it.

More than 65 per cent of that site is in Flood Zone 3 and during recent public consultation, 13 people raised concerns about the council’s plans to build homes, offices and industrial space on a flood plain.

Councillor Ross Mackinnon, executive member for finance, said the Planning Inspectorate’s decision will not affect the council’s plans to redevelop London Road Industrial Estate.

“There’s nothing in this decision that has told us anything we didn’t know already about the need to mitigate flood risk,” he said.

“It doesn’t change our thinking. We already knew we need to be careful with flood defences and be clever and sensible about what goes where.”

He added: “You can build anything on a flood zone as long as you’ve got the proper protections in place.”

A draft development brief for the project, approved by the council last week, states: “While the site is at varying degrees of flood risk from various sources appropriate mitigation measures can be designed into proposals to enable the site to be redeveloped.”

READ MORE: The £1m Newbury regeneration mistake - where the money went

It also says “significant space” will be needed for ground-level sustainable drainage systems on the site.

The National Planning Policy Framework states that developing in flood-risk areas “should be avoided” and developments should be “directed away from areas at highest risk”.

It adds: “Where development is necessary in such areas, the development should be made safe for its lifetime without increasing flood risk elsewhere.”