Eight-storey office block hosting NHS services could become flats

A developer is looking for approval to turn an office building, home to NHS health services, into flats.

The application reads 'prior approval for the change of use from office building to residential to create 42 residential units, BHFT CMHT / Memory Clinic Nicholsons House.'

BHFT is Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and CMHT is its Community Mental Health Team.

A CMHT can help support and treat people for severe and complex mental health difficulties, referring them onto other services where appropriate.

Currently, according to the trust's website, Nicholsons House is home to this team, as well as its Alzheimer's services, Berkshire Eating Disorder Service for Children and Young People, Memory Clinic and Older People's services.

Aegon UK Property Fund Limited is looking to convert Nicholson's House, which is an eight-storey office building above Nicholson's Shopping Centre, into 42 flats

Nothing has been written in the planning documents about whether the health services in this building will continue, but a Berkshire Healthcare spokesperson said:

"Our current lease expires in May 2025 and so there will be no immediate impact to the clinics which currently operate from Nicholson House. We are looking into possible alternative local premises for the services based at the site, should the landlord's longer term plans affect our ability to stay in the building."

The process for the application is ‘prior approval’ under 'permitted development' rights, which can fast-track a change of use from business or service use to residential.

Effectively, if no changes are made externally but only internally - and a few other check-list points are met - approval should be granted, in line with national planning policy.

The site was already granted permission under this same process to be turned from offices into 37 flats in 2021, as part of an overhaul in this part of Maidenhead town,

At that time, Aegon UK said it had ‘no intention to undertake the redevelopment’ at that point - and that none of the existing leases would be affected, including the one held by the health service. It was simply an attempt to 'give the Fund the ability to redevelop the property in future, if appropriate,' they said.

The company has been asked if this new application is, like the former one, just part of the formal planning process, or if it signifies an intention to begin work soon.

If the application is successful, seven of the eight floors will be altered to contain 21 one-bed flats and 21-two-beds.

The proposal is set to be ‘generally car free’ and will ‘make use of existing parking facilities in the multi-storey car park’ where needed, wrote representatives Savills.

Though listed as the applicants, the Advertiser was told that Aegon Asset Management’s management tenure of the property ended in April 2023. Columbia Threadneedle Investors now manage the property.

A Columbia Threadneedle spokesperson said: “Since assuming management of the property in spring 2023 we are considering a range of options for the building to retain its long term vibrancy within the town centre.”

See all plans with reference 24/01643/CLAMA.

Update 2.55pm, July 18: Berkshire Healthcare clarified the position on NHS services and the developer was approached for comment. Sound background was added to a previous application in 2021.