Plans have been submitted to knock down a former care home and create a new building of nine flats.

The new properties would be built on the site of Hillside Care Home in Kingsfield Road in Oxhey.

Planning documents submitted to Watford Borough Council state a building of two-and-half storeys would be created in its place comprising of seven two-bed flats, and a one and three-bed flat.

Agents DLA Planning say the plans will meet the council's threshold that 35 per cent of homes are designated as "affordable".

Watford Observer: Screenshot from Watford Borough Council's planning portal of the proposed scheme. Credit: DLA Town PlanningScreenshot from Watford Borough Council's planning portal of the proposed scheme. Credit: DLA Town Planning

DLA says the scheme is "consistent" with the scale, appearance and character of the surrounding area adding it is in a "highly sustainable location" because of its proximity to Bushey station.

A total of four car parking spaces have been proposed as a result.

Watford Observer: Screenshot from Watford Borough Council planning portal of the proposed scheme. Credit: DLA Town Planning Screenshot from Watford Borough Council planning portal of the proposed scheme. Credit: DLA Town Planning

The 24-bedroom Hillside Rest shut as a care home in 2020 with a letter from the owner stating it had been running successfully for 26 years before occupancy rates began falling from 2017 to eventually below 40 per cent.

The letter, published in DLA's planning statement, added it was not "viable" to keep running the home due to "competition with several state-of-the-art" care homes opening in the surrounding area.

The property is currently being marketed on property website Rightmove for a guide price of between £1.95 million and £2.25 million.

The application can be found on the council's planning portal via reference 21/01873/FUL.