A developer has claimed there are “good grounds” for an appeal after its 89-flat town centre plan was blocked.

Watford Borough Council ruled, at a meeting on May 16, that a block of flats proposed between the A411 Watford Ring Road and Wellstones would “appear dominant” and “visually compete” with Grade I-listed Holy Rood Church.

It would also apparently have caused “significant harm” to residents in The Clock House, a nearby block, due to loss of daylight and outlook.

However, an advisor representing the developer told councillors she was “surprised and disappointed” by the refusal, as she raised the prospect of an appeal.

She said: “The scheme put forward to you for consideration is the result of 16 months of active and fruitful engagement with officers, Watford’s Place-Shaping Review panel, members, and the public.

“Until very recently, the applicant was working with officers on the basis of the application being recommended for approval, subject to negotiations for an affordable housing offer which officers would consider acceptable.

“The applicant has been willing to include affordable housing in the proposals, despite the council’s independent viability consultant agreeing it is not viable to do so.

Watford Observer: How the flats would look from the ring road, shown by the arrowHow the flats would look from the ring road, shown by the arrow (Image: Telereal Trillium)

“We were therefore surprised and disappointed to learn that the scheme is recommended for refusal, given that the reasons for refusal have not been raised by officers.”

The advisor added the scheme is designed to be “sensitive” to the needs of surrounding residents, but said “as the allocated site does not already feature built form, any proposals will have an impact on the light received to some of those apartments”.

Benefits of the plan raised at the meeting include “redevelopment of an allocated site in a sustainable town centre location” and a “high-quality” scheme which goes beyond sustainability policies.

The applicant’s own heritage assessment, completed by a consultant, identified “less than substantial harm” to a grade I-listed landmark.

After the Watford Observer reported that the plan had been rejected, many locals supported the council’s decision and had been particularly concerned about the “car free” flats’ impact on town centre parking.