Planners have rejected plans to convert the old Halifax bank on Chesham High Street into new flats.

Smart Build Homes had applied to Buckinghamshire Council for permission to transform the ground floor of number 26 into two new apartments.

A floorplan for the proposals showed that each of the new homes would have a single bedroom, living-kitchen area and a small bath or shower room.

In its application for prior approval from the council, Smart Build Homes pointed out that the former bank has been vacant since October 2021.

The applicant also referred to a previous similar application for the same site, which was refused due to the building being located within the 12.6km ‘zone of influence’ of the internationally designated Chiltern Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

The conservation area is designed to protect habitats in the Ashridge Estate on the Hertfordshire-Buckinghamshire border, and Tring Woodlands, which are under increasing visitor pressure from the borough and surrounding areas.

Some forms of development are therefore limited within this zone, which extends all the way to some parts of Chesham and Amersham.

Planning officers mentioned the zone in their latest refusal of the redevelopment of the former Halifax.

They wrote: “Recreation within this designated area has resulted in an adverse impact on the health of the site.

“New evidence has demonstrated that new housing within 12.6km of the SAC can be expected to result in an increase in recreation pressure which would adversely impact upon the conservation objective.”