Planning permission has been granted for a new ten-storey block of flats to be built in Stevenage.

94 flats will be included in the development, which is situated on the car park next to Six Hills House, on the corner of Six Hills Way and London Road.

Planning permission had previously been granted for a smaller development on the brownfield site, comprising 64 flats over eight storeys.

Stevenage Borough Council's Planning and Development Committee granted permission for the revised development to be built at a meeting on Thursday, December 8.

It will include 11 studio flats, 36 one-bed flats, and 47 two-bed flats. 

The report provided to the planning committee by council planning officers notes that "the development makes no provision for affordable housing".

The development will include parking spaces for 48 cars, and secure parking for 145 bicycles.

A number of objections had been made to the plans, including a possible threat to the Roman burial mounds on Six Hills Way.

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In their consultee comments, Historic England stated that: "Any development or changes at the application site have potential to affect the setting of the monument and cause harm to its significance.

"The proposals will result in a significant increase in built form in the vicinity of the scheduled monument.

"We consider the proposal could result in harm to the significance of the heritage assets."

The report goes onto say: "It is acknowledged that the development would cause less than substantial harm, which is identified at being at the higher end of the scale, to the setting of the Six Hills Barrows.

"The proposal, will however, deliver a number of benefits and significant benefits which is considered to outweigh the harm caused."

These benefits include "much needed housing", "the creation of new constrution jobs" and an increase to the "Gross Value Added to the local economy".

"Taking the aforementioned into account, whilst it is unfortunate that the applicant has failed to submit a Heritage Impact Assessment at this stage, the council is satisfied that any impacts on the Six Hills Barrows can be mitigated and dealt with via condition."

Other objections raised included lack of car parking for existing East & West Terrace developments at Six Hills House, lack of on-site car parking will worsen parking issues in area and additional two floors will result in an eye sore

Six Hills House, an existing part four-storey and part eight-storey building containing 132 flats, lies directly to the south of the site.

It currently has 156 car parking spaces, of which 42 will be lost as a result of the new development.

The planning officer's report said that this would leave "114 car parking spaces to serve Six Hills House which would exceed the requirement of a maximum of 90 spaces to serve the existing development in line with the Council’s Car Parking Standards."

The report also said: "The proposed development would not be out of character with the wider area due to the range of building heights", including Vista Tower and The Towers, which both have 13 storeys.