A developer still wants to build on a site in the centre of Rickmansworth after the council threw out its previous plans.

St William Homes submitted proposals to build 48 flats on the former gasworks site in Wharf Lane.

Three Rivers District Council’s planning committee rejected the application last Thursday, citing concerns over its size.

But the chairman of St William Homes told the Watford Observer after the meeting: “St William Homes is still committed to bringing the site forward.

“It is a redundant brownfield site.

“We will have to review the council’s decision and decide on the next steps.”

Mr Ellis refused to confirm whether the company would appeal the decision or submit a new application.

Five members of the planning committee rejected the plans while five abstained from voting.

Cllr Ann Shaw, who sits on the planning committee, told Thursday’s meeting: “It is a really important site in Rickmansworth next to the conservation area and near the Green Belt.

“We need a development we can be proud of and the conservation officer described the proposal's design as mediocre at best.

“Twenty homes is what we deemed to be appropriate.

“This would have been an overdevelopment.”

Owner of Croxley Hall Fisheries Paul Sansom-Timms warned the committee that drilling down into the ground could release pollutants into the permeable rock underneath the basin of the former gas holder.

He warned these chemicals could then seep into groundwater supplies.

“One of the other main problems with this proposal is that it sits on a flood zone," he said.

“The dreadful pictures of flooding that we have seen on the television in the north of England could easily have been Rickmansworth.

“It is a unique town in that there are three rivers running through it and in 2014, all three of them burst their banks, flooding homes in Talbot Road. The bottom of Scots Hill was also flooded. So many people suffered and it could have been so much worse.”

He warned against the use of historical flooding data and criticised St Williams Homes for not planning to boost flood defences – in the form of the Chess Wall - if they were planning to develop on the site.

Sean Ellis had told the committee the plans would have “contributed” towards regenerating the town and created education and employment opportunities.

John Ellis, of Salters Close, said: “It is fantastic news the plans were rejected. They have not consulted with anyone. We would have told them we wanted to see 20 homes there.

“Yet they submitted plans for a four-storey block of flats. They have completely ignored the feedback and the proposal would have been an overdevelopment.”

Paul Harper, who set up the website SaveRickmansworth.org, added: “I do not think enough is being done to protect Rickmansworth”.