Plans to knock down a Watford home and build four in its place have been blocked after “overdevelopment” fears.

Set back from Bay Tree Walk, the existing property has green space to one side which the applicant hoped make use of when it submitted its proposal to the borough council in August.

Knocking it down would have allowed a row of four detached houses to fit in the same space by building even further back from the street.

However, the council refused planning permission yesterday, citing the scale, limited separation, and design as being “harmful to the character and appearance of the surroundings”.

Most of the surrounding properties are detached, including a bungalow next-door, and six neighbours objected over parking concerns, “significant overdevelopment”, and inconsistency with the surroundings.

The applicant said its scheme would “positively develop” garden land that can accommodate high-quality homes “in a prominent location”, thereby contributing to the council’s housing targets. Even after quadrupling the number of homes, there would still have been garden space for each.

Several neighbours did acknowledge that the site does need redevelopment.

Rough site boundaries in Bay Tree Walk. (Image: Canva/Google Maps) Rejecting the proposal, the council actually said that there was an “overprovision of car parking” at four spaces. It claimed this failed to encourage residents to take-up sustainable transport methods.

It also highlighted the loss of trees.