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The only reason I know of for having a water-filled thermal store is so that you can heat it in more than one way, such as with heat from a solar thermal panel and also from a gas boiler.
A thermal store also lets you have mains-pressure hot water without a combi boiler or a sealed HW tank (so no need for special training or annual inspections).
Yes, I guess that's true. But my impression is that they are significantly more expensive than regular hot water cylinders and more limited in the rate with which they can output hot water, although for a one bedroom flat flow rate won't be an issue. I suppose they may well work better in a small property than in a large one; I had not thought of that before.
But if the thermal store is not sealed it must need a header tank and not so many flats have a loft where it would go.
My thermal store from Advance is not pressurised and has a built in header tank like a combi cylinder, making it a very simple installation. I believe others are much the same. The plumbing amounts to no more than cold in, hot out. Very suitable for a small flat.