Plans to turn a medieval timber-framed building on Maldon High Street into flats have been turned down by the district council.

Gary Tann had hoped to create a work unit and a one-bedroom apartment on the ground floor of the Grade II listed building, which was previously an office for estate agent Bairstow Eves, and two one-bedroom first-floor apartments to its rear.

Officers granted listed building consent for the proposal in December, which relates to the significance of the historic building, saying "the submitted scheme would avoid the loss of important historic structure due to its design".

But the proposal still required planning permission to go ahead, and this has now been refused by officers on the basis that it would result in "an unacceptable loss of employment land".

The medieval and Tudor timber-framed building dates back to the 14th century and is one of the oldest structures in Maldon and, from at least the 16th century, was an inn known as the Saracen's Head.

It was refurbished in the early 19th century, when many older homes on Maldon High Street were altered in a similar manner.

Mr Tann's proposal included extending and refurbishing the building, which involved upgrading its existing shop frontage to "return it to the traditional character it once had".

A statement by Vision Planning added that Bairstow Eves employed three staff in the building and said the proposed work unit - covering 37 square metres - would be "more than sufficient to continue to allow three people to work in the space".

But planning officers said residents of the proposed flats and their neighbours "would not benefit from adequate outlook, sunlight or private amenity space" due to the "cramped arrangement" of the development.

They said this would "fail to protect the privacy of existing and future occupiers as a result of direct overlooking between the first and ground floor windows".

Maldon Town Council had also recommended refusal of the application due to "overdevelopment of the site, the cramped living space and lack of residential amenity".