The decision on whether to approve the new scheme lies with Stratford District Council’s west area planning committee, but Stratford Town Council can offer its views on the plans through its planning consultative committee which met last week.

The committee objected to the scheme, describing it as over-development and the flats as “institutional, monotonous, bland, un-imaginative and lacking in any character whatsoever.”

Members also argued the development was not responsive to the need in Stratford which is for family homes rather than flats.

“The layout is cramped and contrived and does not represent a high quality residential environment that the town needs and deserves,” the committee said in its formal response to the application.

The mayor likened the flats to “Prisoner Cell block H” and Cllr Joan McFarlane (Lib Dem, Alveston) said: “I cannot believe this is what Stratford is coming to. I went to Russia a couple of years ago and that is what it looked like.”

Commenting on the original plan for 61 homes, the town council’s planning consultant Neil Pearce said: “I cannot see how the SDC approved this monolithic, institutional, bland, boring, monotonous development.”

In the first design there was a designated public open space, likely to be a small park but this will be affected by the new proposals.

As well as the Barratt Homes development, Aldi are building a supermarket on the site. Both developers plan to finish work and open for business by the end of April.