Residents said they're delighted the “last piece of green” in Bushey Heath will be preserved after councillors refused an application to build 38 flats at a planning meeting.

Banner Homes Central submitted an application to Hertsmere Borough Council to build four blocks of flats on The Paddock in Elstree Road.

They proposed to build six one-bedroom apartments and 32 two-bedroom flats along with a semi-underground car park which would be accessed via Caldecote Gardens.

The Bushey Heath Residents Association (BHRA) spearheaded a petition opposing development.

Speaking at the meeting, chair of BHRA, Linda Rauch, said The Paddock - part of the Reveley Lodge estate - is one of the few remaining pieces of green left in the village and bears historical significance to community.

She added the size and design of the development is bulky, out of keeping with the street scene and would be detrimental to the “rural nature of the area”.

More than 1,400 people signed the petition – equivalent to 20 per cent of the population in Bushey – and it was presented to Hertsmere MP Oliver Dowden, who was also at the meeting on Thursday.

Bushey Heath councillor, Paul Morris, also spoke on behalf BHRA against the application told the planning committee: “The loss of The Paddock would be the final nail in the coffin.

“This is the last piece of green in Bushey Heath – it is the last oasis of green spaces and needs to be preserved for generations to come.”

Reveley Lodge and The Paddock was bequeathed to the Bushey Museum Property Trust in 2003, by Eila Chewitt.

In his speech, cllr Morris quoted an email he had received a letter from a resident who was a close friend and carer of Mrs Chewitt – Doreen Devereaux.

The letter said: “She [Mrs Chewitt] had been assured that the land would be preserved as a green space which could be enjoyed by the local people of Bushey Heath and on which horses would be allowed to graze.”

Cllr Morris also drew upon the full council meeting the previous week where councillors agreed to put The Paddock on the list of protected green spaces, which is now awaiting approval from the secretary of state.

Granville Taylor, chairman of the Bushey Museum Property Trust, spoke for the application at the meeting. He said the sale of The Paddock is essential in raising the funds necessary to maintain Reveley Lodge.

Hertsmere councillors unanimously refused the application on the grounds that the bulk, mass and scale of the development would be harmful to the character of the street scene and to Bushey Heath.

Mr Taylor said after the meeting: “We are disappointed with the decision. This will pose a real problem for the future existence of Reveley Lodge.

“The Paddock is really the only asset that we could have used to secure the future of it as it’s not a particularly attractive field. But now not only is it likely to become worthless because it has also been put on the list of designated green spaces, it could put Reveley Lodge at risk of closure.”

Ms Rauch said at the end: “We are absolutely delighted. It has been a long, but worthwhile road and we hope to work with Reveley Lodge to make it a beautiful green space that the people of Bushey Heath can enjoy.”