Plans for four homes and a flat at a redundant ambulance station site in west Suffolk have been refused.

Proposals for land next to Yerrill Garden off Burton End in Haverhill were submitted to West Suffolk Council in May. 

The plans for the former St John Ambulance station site include four new semi-detached homes and one flat over garages.

The site previously accommodated the St John’s Ambulance Service training centre in a portacabin-style building, but this has now been demolished.

Car parking was set to be on the south of the site with two spaces offered per home and including electric car charging points.

The new access would have been a re-use of the existing access off Burton End with a 5m wide private drive constructed and the provision of low-level planting.

An officer report stated it was recommended planning permission be refused based on the impact on the character and appearance of the area. 

It read: "The proposed dwellings will sit over 10 metres in height and within two metres of the edge of the footpath along Burton End producing a dominant and overbearing impact on the street scene." 

Other concerns raised by officers included the impact on residential amenity, issues with parking and highways, and issues with trees.

The report stated: "Given the two storey height of plot 5 and the close proximity of this building to the existing flat the proposal has the potential to overbear and overlook the small amenity space associated with the residential flat."

They raised concern that no visitor space parking or cycle storage had been provided, and no pedestrian access had been detailed.

"The proposal is considered to compromise the lifespan of healthy trees which make a positive contribution to the area and enhance the street scene," they added.

The application was refused by West Suffolk Council.