Hitchin residents have criticised consultation plans for the development of a building in the High Street, describing it as "ugly", "horrific" and "an abomination".
PowerHaus Consultancy revealed plans for the major development of 9-10 High Street, with 46 one and two-bedroom apartments built in gabled houses being proposed for the site.
Retail units at High Street level would be retained, with the site stretching from High Street back to Paynes Park.
Readers of the Comet and Hitchin residents were clearly unhappy with the plans, with one comparing it to a combination of Churchgate Shopping Centre and the building occupied by Poundland.
"Very bad design for the centre of town. No architectural flair at all. A carbuncle among historical designs," they said.
"A Poundland meets Churchgate design all in one. At least make the frontage look Tudor in keeping of its surroundings."
Another said: "What an abomination. It bears zero respect for the adjoining properties in height, mass or subtlety. Another tacky, cheap AutoCAD disaster."
READ MORE: Hitchin town centre manager has his say on High Street redevelopment plans
One resident said they hope the proposals are "not for real", before questioning "how ugly can a building become?".
Plenty also raised concerns about the building not fitting in with the historic frontage of the High Street, with one saying it was the "totally wrong design for a beautiful old high street".
"Awful design. Just another block of boring flats. The building is too high, not at all in keeping with the older buildings in the town," another said.
"How hard is it to make the front of this building more in keeping with the rest on the buildings?," added another.
Others kept their thoughts short, including comments such as "bland and overbearing", "ridiculous", and "bloody awful".
Some did argue in favour of the plans, with one Hitchin resident saying: "They might not look all that, but we're in the middle of a housing crisis, and anything is better than nothing.
"I'm especially glad that retail units are still going to be available on the bottom. Mixed use townhouses are a very good way of building housing that keeps the high street alive."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel