A BUILDING which was once home to a funeral directors will not be permitted to be knocked down, Colchester Council has stated.

Dee Patel applied to demolish part of the former Shephard Funeral Furnishing Services in Colchester High Street.

Blueprints submitted to the council show the ground floor of the property would have been converted into a retail space and the rear of the building demolished to build two “luxury” houses.

A planning statement said the new homes would make use of “underutilised space”.

Colchester Council refused the plan, stating the new accommodation would be “overly dominating” in the street.