The Development Management Committee of Watford Council met on 2 September 2025. The committee was scheduled to review the minutes from their prior meeting, and to consider a planning application for the demolition of an existing building and car park, and the construction of a mixed-use scheme, at 30 - 40 St Albans Road.

Here's a summary of the topics that were listed for discussion:

Planning Application: 30 - 40 St Albans Road

The committee was scheduled to consider planning application 24/01020/FULM from Andsoul, for the demolition of the existing building and car park at 30 - 40 St Albans Road, and redevelopment of the site to provide a mixed-use scheme comprising a new hotel, including the creation of active ground floor uses, with associated cycle parking, car parking, landscaping, amenity and other associated works.

The proposed development included:

• Demolition of the existing 7-storey 100 bedroom hotel
• Construction of a new part 2, part 3, part 5, part 9, part 10-storey building
• A 415 bedroom hotel
• 835.3 square metres (GIA) of ground floor and lower ground floorspace (Use Class E¹) which will incorporate a mixture of commercial spaces
• Removal of the existing two-storey car park whilst reproviding accessible car parking
• On-site servicing maintained via the drop-off loop and a servicing bay
• Landscaping to the front of the site and amenity areas within the development in the form of a podium roof garden and ground floor amenity space to the south

The report pack noted that the site is located on the eastern side of St. Albans Road, adjacent to the junction with Wellington Road. It is not located in a designated conservation area, but it adjoins the Nascot Conservation Area to the west. The site is located outside of the Core Development Area, Watford Gateway Strategic Development Area, and the Clarendon Road Primary Office Location. Watford Junction station is located within a 5 minute walk to the north east of the site.

The report pack stated that the main issues to be considered in the determination of this application are:

(a) Principle of the Development (b) Scale, Design and Character and Appearance of the Area (c) Heritage Considerations (d) Impacts on Neighbouring Amenity (e) Servicing and Transport (f) Environmental Considerations (g) Financial Implications

The report pack noted that the proposal would intensify the hotel use on the site so as to optimise its density and make efficient use of the land, resulting in an uplift of hotel rooms on the site as well as introducing a sizeable amount of commercial and community floorspace that is an improvement from what is currently offered on the site. It also stated that the proposed development is classified as a taller building and so Policy QD6.5 of the Watford Local Plan 2021-2038 is engaged.

The report pack stated that the proposed development would cause a degree of 'less than substantial harm' to the significance of the Nascot Conservation Area, due to the increased height and bulk of the proposal, particularly when viewed from Malden Road. However, it was also stated that the level of public benefit provided by the proposals outweighs the 'less than substantial harm' to the heritage assets.

The report pack stated that the development would result in some moderate harm to the amenity of neighbouring properties with regards to daylight however this would be outweighed by the public benefits of the scheme outlined above.

The report pack stated that the application is supported by a s106² planning agreement and contributions related to and mitigating impacts of the scheme.

The report pack listed 8 objections to the application, raising the following issues:

• Too many hotels already exist and prefer the area to remain residential
• Overdevelopment of the site
• Loss of daylight, sunlight and overshadowing
• Overlooking
• Adequacy of parking, loading and turning
• Traffic Generation
• Noise and disturbance from the use
• Excessive scale and bulk impacting on residential amenity
• Visual amenity impact and sense of enclosure
• Scale and massing dominate the skyline and negatively impact on the character of the area
• Noise and dust during construction
• Lack of capacity enhancements for Watford Junction and to improve walking routes
• Loss of views
• Compensation for loss of light (right to light legislation)

The report pack stated that planning permission be granted subject to the completion of a Section 106 agreement and the conditions set out in Section 8 of the report.

The Section 106 Heads of Terms included:

• A Hotel Management Plan
• Controlled Parking Zone Exemption
• HCC Highways Contribution
• Enterprise and Employment
• Community/Cultural Space Strategy Programme
• Affordable Business Space