A ‘MONSTROUS’ car park near Chester Station has been recommended for refusal.

The nine-storey Network Rail scheme has been put forward on part of the west car park at Chester’s historic Grade II* listed railway station.

National and local conservation bodies and members of the public have joined forces to oppose the huge 377-space building which would be clad in copper panels and copper mesh.

Objectors accept there is a need for more parking at the station which has been boosted with additional rail services and direct trains to London.

But Chester Civic Trust believes the edifice ‘would be a monstrosity’ and its ‘brutal impact will shock visitors and Chester citizens’.

Describing the design as ‘an aesthetics disaster’, the Chester Archaeological Society said: ”It is a classic case of trying to squeeze a quart into a pint pot.”

The city’s Conservation Area Advisory Panel unanimously condemned the building as ‘too tall, too massive and wholly inappropriate’ for ‘the outstanding and virtually complete station frontage of 1848’.

A report reveals there were extensive discussions between Cheshire West and Chester Council, Network Rail and Arriva to produce an acceptable scheme.

The multi storey would ‘completely dominate the station frontage as well as Hoole Bridge’, planners believe.

Recommending the application should be refused, planning officers suggest the car park would not respect its surroundings and would detract and obscure views of the skyline from a principle approach to Chester.

It is due to be considered at a meeting of the council’s strategic planning committee taking place at HQ in Chester at 4pm today (Thursday).