Plans to build ten homes on the former St Albans Museum site have been approved.

At a St Albans District Council planning meeting on Monday, committee members voted unanimously for the application to build four, four bedroom homes, two, three bedroom homes and a terrace of four, four bedroom homes on the city centre site, in Hatfield Road.

The application was considered at a council meeting in March where a decision was deferred to enable the applicant – the department of community services at St Albans District Council – to consider the comments made by the committee with regard to tenure, amenity space, vehicle access and parking provision.

Cllr Annie Brewster, who is responsible for sport, leisure and heritage at the council, spoke at the meeting about the problems the museum has been facing over the last few years.

She also reiterated that the current plans for the £7.75 million museum and gallery project at the old Town Hall in Market Place would have a positive impact on its future.

She said: “The museum of St Albans was located in Hatfield Road 118 years ago. The thought then was with the arrival of station this was going to be the place to be.

“Jump to today and sadly the visitor numbers have sometimes dropped to only 8,000 annually.

“There is no disability access and it’s too small for the ambitious 21st century historic and art exhibitions we would like to hold.

“The local authority does not need to give a penny to heritage and we are continually expected to make savings.

“Therefore with our iconic Town Hall in the heart of the city not having been used in over half a century for magistrate work and a quarter of a century for council chamber, with heating not working and the fabric decaying, it makes perfect sense to base a magnificent new museum and gallery in this location, that already has an annual footfall of more than £4 million.”

Cllr Robert Prowse spoke about his concerns with the previous application in the relation to the latest one.

He said: “I had a couple of big issues on the last one.

“In terms of the height I still have a problem with the height – it’s just my view – but I don’t think my view would have any reasonable argument under the planning law, so I certainly wouldn’t be able to use that as a reason for refusing an application.

“It’s a shame though obviously. This values been maximised to be upmost on this site to try and find some capital for the museum.

“I think that’s probably why it feels so cramped.

“The two real problems I had were the amenity space, which has now been clarified, and also the width of the access road – that has been changed.

“I don’t think I have any reason to refuse it this time.”

Cllr Janet Churchard added: “Although I feel it is a little bit overdeveloped, I can live with it, because it is a city centre development and hopefully it will lead to our new museum to being really good.”

All last-minute questions and concerns were met by the council officers, and when it came to the final vote, all committee members voted in favour of the application.