Plans to demolish a pub have been recommended for refusal.

Woodhall Land have applied to Hertsmere Borough Council for planning permission to demolish and redevelop The Crown pub, in Shenley Road, which dates back to 1908.

As part of the new plans, a four-storey building will replace the pub, with commercial space on the ground floor and 11 two-bedroom flats.

The coach house at the back of the site was earmarked for two two-bedroom houses, while a car park with 15 spaces and 12 bicycle spaces was also included.

However, planning officers have released their report on the application, recommending that the council's planning committee refuses the plans when it meets on August 7.

The report states that the redevelopment of the pub, which has been serving the people of Borehamwood for more than 100 years, would create a ‘substandard and cramped form of living accommodation’, and affect road safety due to a lack of manoeuvrability in the proposed car park.

The planning authority was also unable to determine whether the demolition of part of the existing building would have a negative impact on bat colonies, which are a protected species.

Hertsmere Borough Council’s planning committee will meet on August 7 to discuss the report and make a final conclusion.