AN office block will not be turned into 165 homes after a developer decided not to appeal Basildon Council’s decision to refuse the application.

An application seeking prior approval to develop Northgate House, above the former BHS department store in Basildon town centre, was refused by Basildon Council last year.

An appeal hearing, launched by applicant Northgate House LLP, had been due to take place this week, but Basildon Council has now received notification that the appeal has been withdrawn.

The proposals would potentially have seen 162 studio flats and three one-bedroom apartments created, with no parking provision and only two small areas for cycle storage.

Council planning officers felt the lack of parking would lead to an overspill of cars into nearby roads and that the noise impact from adjoining commercial premises had not been properly taken into account.

Councillor Richard Moore, cabinet member for planning, said: “The council had real concerns about the sheer volume of properties and the lack of transport provision being proposed.

“While we all recognise the need for new homes in the borough, we must ensure these properties are of a high standard and meet the needs of our population.”

A previous planning application, allowing 87 apartments to be created at Northgate House, was granted permission earlier in 2016 and remains valid that’s, of course, if a developer chooses to progress with the scheme.

Mr Moore added: “We would hope any developer would look to make use of existing planning consents rather than pursue proposals which do not represent acceptable town centre development.”

The Echo revealed in August last year that the flats would be tiny, with each one around 256 sq ft - half the UK average for a one bedroom apartment, which, according to the Royal Institute of British Architects, is 495 sq ft.

A number of applications have been submitted to the council to turn office blocks into flats.

The latest application is to turn the former Jobs Centre building - Regent House, in The Gore - into 98 flats.