Plans to add a third storey to a building in Station Road, Epping,​ ​to enable a development of six one-bedroom flats are being opposed by the town council.

Councillors have objected saying the proposed development at Purlieu House at 11 Station Road is "overbearing" and "overdominant".

A planning application submitted to Epping Forest District Council is seeking consent to add a third floor and turn existing office space on the ground floor to retail use.

Existing undercroft parking for six vehicles would be retained with office space on the first floor and the flats on the second and newly-created third floor.

Councillor Barbara Scruton told Tuesday's planning and general purposes committee: "It's the first building you see when you walk up Station Road. Another storey will be so dominant."

She added: "It's in the conservation area and I just think it will have such a negative impact on the street scene and will have a loss of amenity to the properties around it."

Councillor Mari-Louise Whitbread said: "It's very attractive but very over-bearing, over tall, and although it would be handy for people to stay (living) local, it's over-development."

Town Mayor Grahame Scruton expressed concern over the increase in a "tunnelling effect" the additional storey would have along Station Road, and the impact the higher building would have on Honeysuckle Mews, on the opposite corner of Hemnall Street and Station Road.

Councillor Christine Burgess said: "When these buildings are put up, surely the underpinning and things like that are put in place to support the building that's going up at the time.

"If you plonk another storey on top, they are going to have to do something about that."

Committee chairman Nigel Avey said: "When I saw this, I couldn't see the logic. Why would you do that to the building, it doesn't seem, to a lay person, to be the most sensible thing to do?

"I have concerns about parking, access has been mentioned as well. I just think it's overdominant."