Plans to turn a town centre building into flats have finally been given the green light, despite six rejections from Watford Borough Council.
Applicant Mr Shakeel Adli has repeatedly sought to obtain planning permission for a change of use for 41 Market Street, formerly Computer Software And Peripherals, to become eight flats.
The council repeatedly rebuffed his attempts, the most recent application in January being rejected over national floor space standards and a lack of daylight for potential residents.
Units 3,7 and 8 fell foul of permitted development rights, lacking either built-in storage or sufficient gross internal floor area.
The saga began back in 2021 when a first application (then for nine flats) was knocked back by the council. Not to be deterred, further proposals were lodged in April 2022, August 2022, and February 2023, before this year's most recent attempt.
In documents supporting the most recent submission, the applicant said that “every flat proposed within this current application complies with the nationally described minimum space standards”.
With the council repeatedly deeming the plans unacceptable, the applicant chose to take the case to the planning inspectorate.
The appeal got under way in April of this year, with a statement reading: "The Appellant has consistently sought a collaborative working relationship with the Local Planning Authority. However, given the inconsistency applied to these previous applications he feels he now has no option other than to seek a determination at appeal."
- Sixth bid for Market Street flats in Watford town centre
- Funky Elephant Caribbean opens in Watford Business Park
Describing the council's actions as "unreasonable", Mr Adli attempted to prove that the flats would provide adequate living space for would be residents.
His case proved successful, with the planning inspectorate taking the decision to overturn the council's latest refusal and granting permission for the flats.
Following a site visit, the inspector ruled that the development "would provide adequate internal floorspace and storage, complying with Nationally Described Space Standards".
Mr Adli was however unsuccessful in a separate appeal in which he attempted to claim costs against the council for its actions during the case.
Work will now begin on the new homes, which will be comprised of six studio flats and two two-bedroom properties.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel