A huge hotel previously refused permission after being branded "over-domineering" has been green-lit after the planning inspectorate granted the application on appeal.

Plans to build a hotel on 11 Station Road in Upminster, initially refused by Havering Council, were granted on appeal last Tuesday (January 24) by planning inspector Darren McCreery.

Mr McCreery is affiliated with the Royal Town Planning Institute, an international body for town planners which has the power to overrule the council.

The hotel, rumoured to be a Travelodge, would require Time Tees Cars and Station Road Costa to be demolished. It would also contain ground floor retail premises and office space.

Agent MRPP, on behalf of developer Eastern Ironworks, previously had its proposal for an 82-room hotel blocked after it was ruled "out of character", "over-domineering" and environmentally unsustainable.

Havering Council received the application on September 27 in 2022, refused it on January 16 in 2023, but the inspectorate has since granted it on appeal.

"The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for demolition of all buildings and redevelopment to provide a hotel," an appeal decision issued by the Planning Inspectorate dated on January 16 revealed.

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This comes after a site visit on December 6, the document shows, after an appeal made by Eastern Ironworks on May 12.

The inspectorate said the appellant had submitted three unilateral undertakings, legal agreements between the council and the developer, on November 6 to address the initial reasons for refusal.

Effects on the character and appearance of the area, living conditions of nearby residents, the free flow of traffic and highway safety were among the main issues identified.

But the inspectorate argued the development would fit in with the Upminster area.

"The character of the area is busy and commercial, consistent with the location at the heart of the Upminster district centre," he said.

The inspectorate also took issue with the current layout.

"The low rise appearance and layout of the existing buildings on the site is an anomaly in the street scene," said the report. 

"The visual gap they create and the informality and appearance of the buildings results in a weak street scene."

This comes despite the council previously refusing the application, which has a projected cost of up to £100 million, as "dominant" and "excessive".

"The proposed development by reason of its overall scale, bulk, height and design and proximity to the shared boundaries, would dominate the townscape," it stated in its reasons for refusal.

"The excessive height and bulk of the rear block would have an adverse impact on the light to habitable rooms and over-domineering impact [to neighbouring properties]," it continued.

Building works were expected to have started in July 2023, but were delayed due to the council's refusal, a redacted application form shows.

The planning inspectorate stated that at its maximum height along the front of Station Road, the hotel would be among the high street's tallest buildings.

But Mr McCreery said the council's argument that this would be by a significant margin lacked evidence.

"Rejecting the proposal as this as a point of principle would not be justified," he added.