Planning permission has been granted for a house in Stevenage, that is listed as a heritage asset, to be demolished to make way for two new homes.

The detached house on Whitney Drive is included in Stevenage's Local Heritage List as a good example of modernist residential architecture.

Stevenage Borough Council has granted planning permission for the property to be demolished and two new detached houses built.

The council's planning officer said: "Due to its architectural significance and positive contribution to the street scene, it is considered the loss of the existing dwelling would cause harm to the character and appearance of the area."

However, he added: "It is considered the proposed dwellings would have the potential to equal the architectural significance of the existing in time, maybe even more so as they would work and relate to each other as a pair."

He said: "The proposed dwellings would be of a high-quality, contemporary design, set within reasonable-sized plots, and within the context of modern residential development of varying designs.

"The fact the architect is a family member of the applicant, who was the original architect for [the house] in the late 1960s is also part of the story of the evolution of the buildings on this site."