The Planning Inspectorate has green-lit replacing a Watford town centre car park with an eight storey block of 89 flats

After a one-day hearing and site visit on May 9, an appeal against the borough council’s decision to refuse permission for the development was successful.

The official judgement was made on May 24 and stated that building homes in land currently used as Wellstones Car Park, between Exchange Road and Wellstones, was acceptable.

Councillors had ruled that it would “appear dominant” and “visually compete” with Grade I-listed Holy Rood Church, this time last year.

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, the inspector appointed by the Secretary of State, Jonathon Parsons, said more comprehensive modelling suggested the loss of light was not so bad.

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

Because of this and other factors, while also considering that the appeal site is in a built-up town centre location “where obstruction to daylight is inevitable”, he judged that it would be acceptable for The Clock House residents.

In terms of the outlook, the inspector found that its was suitably separated from nearby buildings and used high-quality “attractive” materials that meant it did not harm outlook so much and there would not be a “significant sense of being enclosed and hemmed in”.

He highlighted that in a “densely developed town centre”, development would be “expected”.

It was also decided that the loss of town centre car parking spaces would not be sufficient grounds to turn down the proposal, due to provision elsewhere, adding that although it is a cheaper option than most alternatives there is no way to guarantee that will stay the case.

An objection based on increased pressure on the area’s infrastructure and services apparently cannot be sustained without evidence-based objections from service providers.

Following the decision, the developer, Telereal Securitised GP Limited, now has permission to build 89 self-contained flats and a flexible commercial unit on the ground floor. The building heights would range between five and eight storeys.