A plan to turn the upstairs floors of a listed building in a Herefordshire town centre into a two-bedroom flat has been refused.

The proposal was to convert space currently used for storage above the Howard Moseley butcher’s shop in the pedestrianised Drapers Lane, Leominster.

This required alterations to the shopfront and the internal layout of the shop to provide upstairs access, which was previously from within the shop.

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But the plan, submitted by a Mr I Kuzma of Presteigne, drew several objections.

The symmetry of the grade II listed building’s facade “is essential to its value as such”, but this would be “destroyed” by the proposal, Leominster Civic Society said – a view supported by Leominster town council.

Herefordshire Council’s buildings conservation officer also felt the public benefit of the new flat would “not outweigh the less than substantial harm to the listed building”.

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Local resident Jan Lockett said the change to the building would be “criminal”, adding: “Drapers Lane is the prettiest and most photographed area of Leominster.”

Permitting the bid would “open up doors to every property owner to vandalise Leominster history, which will be lost forever”, she said.

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Herefordshire Council planning officer Amber Morris said the lack of parking at the property was “acceptable given the highly sustainable nature of the site”.

But aside from heritage concerns, the plan fell foul of the legal requirement not to add to phosphate pollution entering the river Lugg catchment, while private sewage treatment systems typically used in rural developments were “not an option” in this case.

The flat’s total floorspace of less than 60 square metres would also be below official national standards, resulting in “substandard accommodation”, Miss Morris said.

For these reasons the application, along with the bid for listed building consent, was refused.