The chairman of a community group says they are “very pleased” that an appeal against the refusal of plans for an apartment block in Beaconsfield has been dismissed.

Mike Elliot, chair of the Beaconsfield Society, said the group had objected to the plans for Northfield, 40 Penn Road, multiple times and was glad to hear an appeal had not been successful.

Fusion Residential submitted their first application for the demolition of the existing building and replacing it with a block of six apartments with roof and basement accommodation, access ramp and landscaping in May last year, but it was refused by South Bucks District Council in July because it was said to be “out of keeping with the area” and “obtrusive in the street scene.”

The property developer appealed the decision, but it was announced last week that the appeal had been dismissed by the planning inspectorate.

In her report, planning inspector Karen Radford, said: “I have found that the combination of the design, mass, bulk, rear extensions and location of the ramp, which would be all clearly in public view, would make the proposed development appear excessively prominent and cramped on its plot.

“Thus it would be out of keeping with the character and appearance of this part of Penn Road and the surrounding area generally.

“Whilst I have found that there are benefits of the proposals, particularly the additional residential units in a sustainable location and the affordable housing contribution, on balance these benefits do not outweigh the identified harm.”

Fusion Residential had previously said the design was a “concerted attempt” to create a building which would “fit comfortably within its context whilst also ‘moving on’ the design approach to apartment developments beyond that presently evident in Beaconsfield.”

A second planning application for the site has also been refused by South Bucks District Council.

Mr Elliot said: “We are very pleased it has been dismissed, the society put in objections to the first application and also the appeal.

“Our objections were around the size of the planned building and also the overdevelopment of the site, which would have changed the nature of Penn Road itself.”

The society also had concerns about the level of traffic on the road, the entrance and exit to the site and the plans for an underground car park.

Mr Elliot said: “We were very unhappy with the plans, so we are very pleased with the outcome of the appeal.”