Watford flats plan for car park site refused

Developers say issues about the height and effect of the proposed 89 flats had not been raised by council officers when the plans were discussed with them

Plans to replace a car park with an eight-storey block of flats have been turned down.

The proposal for 89 flats on the Wellstones car park site off the A411 Watford ring road was refused because it "did not fulfil the council's heritage and amenity requirements".

Watford Borough Council said it "would appear dominant and visually compete with" listed buildings.

The developer's spokeswoman said there were "good grounds" for an appeal.

The proposed site is earmarked for about 40 homes in the district council's Local Plan.

The plan originally featured a maximum height of 12 storeys and an advisor representing the developer said that by lowering the height of part of the building, they had reduced the scheme by 50 flats to 89.

The Wellstones car park is on the other side of the A411 Exchange Road from Holy Rood Church

She said the applicant had been working with council officers on the basis of the application being recommended for approval, subject to negotiations for an affordable housing offer.

She said she was "surprised and disappointed" to learn that the scheme was recommended for refusal as the reason had not been raised by officers.

She added that the scheme was designed to be "sensitive" to the needs of surrounding residents and that any plans for the car park site would have an "impact on the light received to some of those apartments".

The council's planning committee said the "height and scale" of the proposed development would compete with Grade I listed Holy Rood Church and an associated group of Grade II listed buildings in Percy Road and Exchange Road.

"This would cause less than substantial harm to the setting of the designated heritage assets which would outweigh the public benefits of the proposal," the decision notice said.

It added that it would also cause "significant harm" to residents in The Clock House, a nearby block, due to "substantial loss of daylight and outlook".