A MULTI-STOREY car park proposal at Chester Railway Station has been dubbed a ‘monstrosity’ that will shock visitors.

Chester Civic Trust is objecting to a Network Rail planning application for a nine-storey car park for 377 spaces on top of the west car park serving the adjacent Grade II* listed station.

Trust spokesman John Herson wrote: “The proposed building will be a monstrosity. It will be three times the height of the adjacent building and two and a half times the maximum height of the central range of station buildings.”

Network Rail says meetings with Chester Renaissance resulted in two options – using all the available land to ‘squeeze’ down the building height so it did not detract from the station or move it away from Hoole bridge to protect key views of the city thereby reducing the footprint but increasing the height.

The council’s head of planning, Chris Hindle, favoured the ‘tall slim’ option.

Mr Herson said: “We consider the council’s intervention, if confirmed, was deeply flawed.”

A council spokesman said: “As the planning authority we cannot discuss the merits or otherwise of any planning application in advance of its consideration.

“However, we can say that in several pre-application meetings with Network Rail we have consistently advised that we are looking for a high-quality iconic design which would complement its surroundings.”

Network Rail spokesman Keith Lumley said: “As to the size, height, shape etc of the building, we have had numerous meetings with interested parties over many years.

“We believe that we have reached the optimal solution, taking into account the commercial needs of the rail industry, the needs of passengers who currently drive to other stations because there are insufficient parking spaces available and the comments from those we have been working with.”