Three 'major' planning applications considered for Watford

Only a handful of planning applications in Watford are big enough to have been designated “major” by Watford Borough Council and are still yet to be decided on.

The proposed buildings range between two storeys and seventeen storeys and from residential to storage uses.

Clements building/Watford Market - ref: 23/00391/FULM

CGI attached to the plan. (Image: Makower Architects/Watford Borough Council planning portal)

In January, this year, the development team working on plans for the former Clements building in High Street started a consultation and announced a formal proposal would be coming later in the year.

The building currently houses B&M, Global Buffet, and NRG Gym, but under the plans submitted in May it would include housing, commercial uses, and a new public space at the site.

If approved, 152 homes, new retail space, and a completely revamped Watford Market would be created. Across the 152 homes there would be 418 habitable rooms.

The "market square" would be more opened up, according to the plan, due to a gap being left between the two blocks to house the market.

Residential Block A is proposed to be 17 storeys, while Block B would be seven storeys.

Thomas Sawyer Way self-storage - ref: 23/00626/FULM

CGI attached to the self-storage plan. (Image: Planning Potential/Watford Borough Council planning portal)

Safestore is planning to redevelop land to the north of Thomas Sawyer Way, opposite Screwfix and Toolstation, to build a two-floor 1,623-square-metre building for self-storage.

The plan, submitted on July 18, also includes associated parking and infrastructure. The existing site is vacant land cleared for development.

The most recent update via the planning portal was the Environment Agency removing its objection due to new conditions being confirmed for any potential planning permission grant, on October 25.

Lower High Street homes - ref: 23/00683/FULM

CGI View 02 - from the design and access statement. Showing the view from Local Board Road (Image: Watford Borough Council planning portal, Benchmark Architects, Nazmo Ltd)

After a proposal for 36 homes in Lower High Street was rejected in February, the designs were revised by reducing the scale and resubmitted in August.

Five ground floor flats and six on each of four floors above have now been proposed. Of the 29 flats, 15 would be one-bedroom, eight would be two-bedroom, and six would be three-bedroom.

The existing vacant office building, at the junction with Local Board Road, would be demolished rather than converted and the development would be “car-free”.