Plans for 127 flats at Garston bus garage approved by council

The former Arriva bus depot in St Albans Road in Garston will be demolished and replaced by five new residential buildings.

Applicants Fairview New Homes received permission after the council's planning committee met on Tuesday evening to discuss the application.

Five separate blocks will be constructed; the highest being five floors.

Previous plans for 165 flats were unanimously turned down by the council as well as a Government planning inspector after the applicants appealed the council's decision.

Councillors did not like the size of the initial proposals and objected to the loss of the locally listed building.

The latest application was more warmly received, with five members of the committee voting in favour of the scheme.

CGI of the approved plans. Credit: Fairview New Homes

Committee chairman Peter Jeffree said: "The new design for the homes on the Garston Bus Garage site is a significant improvement on the earlier rejected design and the internal landscaped areas are much more attractive.

"The reduction in the number of homes makes it a more balanced scheme. The developer took on board many of the committee’s comments on their previous application to achieve this, which is why this new scheme has now been approved."

The bus garage site which closed in 2018

Cllr Jeffree voted for the scheme along with his Liberal Democrat councillors Stephen Johnson, Mark Watkin, Rabi Martins, and Glen Saffery,

Their colleague; group leader and Meriden ward councillor Jenny Pattinson voted against the plans, along with Labour's Richard Smith and Sara-Jane Trebar.

Labour group leader Nigel Bell abstained.

The site was used as a bus depot since the early 1950s. Credit: Stephen Danzig

Planning papers state none of the 127 flats are set to be affordable, but papers add the applicants will pay £194,000 towards affordable housing provision elsewhere in Watford.

There are a total of 87 parking spaces proposed on the site, which Fairview New Homes paid £10.1 million for.

Marchwood House, pictured, will also be demolished. Credit: Stephen Danzig

The bus garage building has been derelict since it closed in 2018, having first opened in the 1950s, following the closure of Leavesden Road garage.

The garage and office building called Marchwood House are set to be demolished by the end of this year under permitted development rights.

The derelict bus garage site. Credit: Stephen Danzig

Cllr Jeffree added: "The site has been vacant for a very long time and will never come back into use as a bus garage, and has deteriorated, leaving it open to becoming a focus for anti-social behaviour.

"It is important for the community to now see it evolve and put to a new use, becoming a pleasant place where people can settle and make their homes."