STROUD will have to wait to find out whether plans for a new town centre retail and residential complex are accepted.

The landowners of Badbrook Hall in Bath Street want to demolish a building and replace it with a new four-floor structure - containing nine flats and ground floor shops.

The building will also have additional space in its basement.

Councillors on Stroud District Council's development control committee, which met on Tuesday, voted to reserve judgement until the applicant, The Kenneth Charles Major Hooper Will Trust, has made alterations to the plans.

On Monday night an architect on behalf of the trust met with Stroud Town Council, which had expressed a number of objections to the design, in the hope of ironing out some differences.

Following the meeting, a letter from the town council addressed to the development control committee, read: "It is our view that allowing such a building on what is a key gateway site to the town is very much against local planning policy."

Further details in the letter stated that the town council was not against such a development per se.

It continued: "We made it clear what our objectives were, especially in relation to the height of the proposed five-story building and the failure of it to make any reference to the distinctive design features of the surrounding buildings.

"We strongly believe that there is a golden opportunity to considerably improve the plans for this kind of town centre site and to create a building that will enhance, instead of detract from, the town centre."