An application to demolish Rickmansworth’s only remaining hotel and replace it with 92 homes has been refused by Three Rivers District Council.

The Long Island Exchange - formerly the Victoria Hotel - has been a landmark in the town since before 1888 and is believed to pre-date Rickmansworth Station which it stands opposite.

The bid to locate 87 flats and five town houses on the site of the hotel in Victoria Close prompted almost 250 comments to the council from residents and interested parties.

The application was turned down in late December without ever reaching the council’s planning committee.

Reasons for the council’s refusal include the scale of the proposed building, its inadequate parking and turning space for delivery and emergency vehicles, the lack of contribution towards affordable homes and the increased strain the development would put on local amenities.

However Councillor Paula Hiscocks, who sits on the planning committee at Three Rivers and campaigned for the building to be locally listed, says she expects Keay Homes to re-apply with a modified plan for the site.

She said: "I am really, really pleased but of course I expect they will come back.

"The council are just in the process of locally listing the Prince of Wales pub in Batchworth Heath so I don’t understand why they can’t locally list Long Island Exchange."