New homes look set to be developed in a town after a plan to rework a vacant office building was approved.

A planning application for Batchworth House in Church Street, Rickmansworth, that would see it turned into 12 new flats was approved by Three Rivers District Council yesterday (April 12).

The plan includes seven one-bedroom flats, four two-bedrooms, and one three-bedroom.

The three-storey building has been vacant since May 2022 after being built in the mid-2000s.

It neighbours the site of the former Bridge MOT garage which has been demolished and is being replaced with a 75-bed care home.

As well as the flats themselves, separate entrances, a lobby entrance, and a bin area will be added.

The existing parking for the offices will be kept.

There were concerns over flooding due to the building's proximity to the Chess and Colne rivers, but the Environment Agency, which was consulted, removed its objection ahead of the approval.