Developer appeals after St Albans council rejects plan for 76 flats at Marlborough House due to design concerns.
The developer appealed the decision by sending a document on February 6 to the planning inspectorate.
The plan was for 18 Upper Marlborough Road, where a 1960s building would be replaced with two new buildings, which would have 76 apartments in total.
The council said no because the design and size were a problem since it harmed the street’s look and hurt the Conservation Area.
The council also mentioned heritage assets and stated the project’s harm was not balanced since public benefits were insufficient.
To limit the impact on local services, the developer could make a “s106 agreement,” which might then make the committee rethink their decision.
The s106 agreement covers many services, including NHS, schools, libraries, youth services, highways, and fire services.
The applicant said it was high quality housing, and people living there would have “an exceptional place,” claiming designers considered the site’s history and tried to match the local style.
They stated the materials are better than now and the current building isn’t very nice, so it would improve things. The plan would add something attractive and the architecture would be a big bonus.
The applicant had a plan before for 88 flats at the same place, but after feedback, they withdrew it and applied again later.
The new application still received many objections; over twenty people objected to the plan. You can see the application online by searching for 5/2023/2398 on the council website.