An office block will not be built in Beaconsfield after a last minute u-turn from planning bosses led to approval being refused.

Officers at South Bucks District Council had earlier this month recommended the proposals to build 10,000 sq ft of office space and new homes off London End should be given approval.

But in between then and today’s meeting of the council’s planning committee, the Highways Agency had raised serious safety concerns about access to the site and said the proposals should be turned down.

That led to officers changing their recommendation on the proposals and committee members today unanimously agreed to reject the proposals after that change of heart.

Chris Gregory, from applicant Bidwells, had asked members if they could defer the proposals instead of being given an outright refusal.

But that request was turned down, with the planning application having already been withdrawn and re-submitted two months ago after previous concerns had been raised by the Highways Agency.

Pedestrian visibility from the site was labelled ‘substandard’, while the council also received more than 250 letters of objection to the plans.