Plans to build an apartment block in Beaconsfield have been refused for the third time.

Councillors unanimously refused an application to demolish a two-storey house and detached triple garage at Northfield, 40 Penn Road, and build six apartments with a basement car park and roof accommodation, and associated landscaping in its place, at a planning meeting this week.

The plans were refused after the proposed development was not deemed to have complied with South Bucks District Council’s affordable housing policy.

A previous application for the same development was approved, with developers entering a legal agreement to ensure a “commuted sum payment” towards affordable housing would be made.

The land was then sold on to another developer who submitted fresh plans, saying affordable housing would no longer be “economically viable” since they had found piling was required for the basement floor to be held down at an additional cost.

Councillors argued that the previous application had clearly stated that piling was not required and that the loss of a contribution towards affordable housing was “something to be deeply concerned about”.

Developers Prime Phenix Ltd were also accused of over-paying for the site, with residents and community groups raising concerns that the loss of the commuted sum payment for affordable housing was as a result of the over-payment.

But they defended their decision, saying the viability report was based on the existing use price of the site and that the purchase price was “not relevant”.

They also said they had agreed to a revaluation of the site if the work had not been started or completed within a “reasonable” time frame, so that if market conditions changed “substantially” in that time, there would be an opportunity to revalue it.

They said: “Maybe then a financial contribution [to affordable housing] will be justified.”

Speaking about the piling issue, they said with a basement car park, it was “definitely required” and that soil investigation had not been carried out originally and the detailed design of the basement car park and construction had not been assessed previously, adding: “Those additional construction costs are fully justified.”

The development has been marred with controversy, with two previous applications being refused because they was said to be “out of keeping with the area” and “obtrusive in the street scene”.

The new application received letters of objection from 26 separate sources, including from the Beaconsfield Society, which had also objected to the previous plans multiple times.

Alison Wheelhouse, chairman of the society’s planning sub-committee and Beaconsfield resident, welcomed the refusal, saying the council had “done the right thing”.

She said: “I was very pleased to see that there was a unanimous refusal.

“Affordable housing is desperately needed in the area. I hope that this will set a precedent against this sort of thing happening again.”