Protest over flat plans for St Albans local landmark

DEMOLITION proposals to replace an old Victorian house with 12 flats have infuriated neighbours of the site. Just Homes/Heronslea have applied to Hertsmere borough council for permission to demolish an existing house in Shenley Hill, Radlett, and replace

DEMOLITION proposals to replace an old Victorian house with 12 flats have infuriated neighbours of the site.

Just Homes/Heronslea have applied to Hertsmere borough council for permission to demolish an existing house in Shenley Hill, Radlett, and replace it with 12 two and three bedroom flats as well as an underground car park.

Nine neighbours have responded to consultation about the proposal - and all of them are against it.

One of them, Ian Lochhead, who said it would have a huge impact on his quality of life, commented: "It is one more step in the degradation of life in Radlett."

He said that the replacement of houses with flats had already happened further up Shenley Hill and at the other end of the village which was blighted by the trend.

Mr Lochhead, who will be affected most by the scheme, went on: "I am going to be looking down on it. At the moment I look out and see an area of greenery and trees and people walking up and down."

He said the plans were, "a horrible piece of architecture" and he would not have objected had it been a far more elegant building.

Mr Lochhead also pointed out that Shenley Hill was, "an extremely dangerous" road in terms of both speeding and volume of traffic and the new development would put more pressure on a road he described as "technically overloaded."

No date has yet been set for the application to go to committee but consultation has now closed.