Revised plans have been submitted to redevelop a former care home after an initial proposal was rejected by Watford Borough Council.

The application is to knock down a former care home in Kingsfield Road in Oxhey and build nine flats in its place.

The council turned down initial plans on March 1 due to concerns about overlooking, design, and size, and harm to bats that might possibly be living in the empty property.

Agents DLA Town Planning have returned with revised plans which it says take into account the reasons for refusal.

DLA says the extent of a first-floor rear extension has been reduced adding the proposed building already replicates the existing footprint of the care home, which was known as Hillside Care Home.

Watford Observer: Screenshot of the initial proposal which would involve a rear extension to the new building. DLA says this has been reduced in size in light of the council's refusalScreenshot of the initial proposal which would involve a rear extension to the new building. DLA says this has been reduced in size in light of the council's refusal

The council also said there is a "reasonable likelihood" of bats inside the old care home and said without an ecological survey, it cannot be sure the proposal won't result in "significant harm to protected species".

However, a preliminary ecological assessment carried out on behalf of the applicant in March found "no evidence of protected or notable species or bat roost activity".

Another change to this planning application is the removal of a three-bed flat to be replaced by two one-beds. The remaining seven flats would all be two bedrooms.

According to the initial plans, which include four parking spaces, the application will meet the council's threshold that 35 per cent of homes are designated as "affordable".

Watford Observer: Screenshot of the new building of seven flats as first submitted to the council. Credit: DLA Town PlanningScreenshot of the new building of seven flats as first submitted to the council. 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 former care home is still being marketed by Rightmove with offers in excess of £1.9 million.

The revised application can be found on the council's planning portal via reference 22/00440/FUL.