Despite making a council chamber plea, a would-be developer saw plans to build hundreds of homes near Bushey Arches once again rejected by councillors.

Developers Barion Homes had hoped to build 176 flats on land behind the small parade of shops on Chalk Hill.

The 64 one-bed flats and 112 two-bed flats would have been accommodated in four storey high blocks with vehicle access created between two shops on Chalk Hill.

However, planning officers at Watford Borough Council said the proposal contained “numerous deficiencies” and recommended the application be refused on 23 separate counts.

It is the second time the same planners have applied to build huge numbers of housing on the site, which currently houses a concrete batching plant and a waste transfer site It is also the second time officers have rejected the plan out of hand.

In April, plans to build 126 flats on the land were submitted to the council. On that occasion the council’s development control committee needed just 20 reasons to refuse the application, with one councillor accusing developers of “wasting their own time”.

Before rejecting the latest plans on Thursday night, Councillor Zoe McQuire said members of the committee should be wary about developers submitting excessively large plans in the hope that a subsequent, scaled down application would then automatically be passed.

She said: “I personally can’t say I like the design and I am very wary of something we have talked about before called developers’ creep.”

The councillor added: “I have absolutely no hesitation in agreeing with the officers on this one.”

Fellow committee member, Iain Sharpe, added: “In the right circumstances and with the right scheme this would be a good potential site for development.

“However, when the officers give 233 reasons for refusal it is clear this is not the right one.

“We have had discussions on another scheme up the road by the station where the committee has had similar concerns and we have to recognise each site in its own context."

The nine man committee, which was sitting one member light, rejected the plan unanimously.