Campaigners who successfully battled to stop a 16-storey tower block being built in the heart of Kingston town centre now fear their hard work could soon be overturned.

Councillors disappointed developer St George by unanimously voting to reject plans to redevelop the old post office site in Ashdown Road earlier this month, citing the building’s height and appearance as “damaging to the character of Kingston”.

But with Kingston’s bad record with building new homes in the borough, it is feared the council decision could be overturned by London Mayor Boris Johnson.

Kingston Residents’ Alliance member Tessa Kind said: “I’m certainly hoping that he won’t bother with it, but we can’t be too complacent about it.”

The site is believed to be viewed as of “potential strategic importance” to Mr Johnson’s London Plan.

Kingston and Surbiton MP James Berry has written to the mayor’s office asking for the fellow Conservative not to review the decision.

Mr Berry said: “Given the number of housing imposed, I think it will come under that criteria [the London Plan], there’s certainly a chance that he will [overturn the decision].

“If I didn’t think it would happen I wouldn’t have written to them. I will hopefully get a response quite soon.”

Surrey Comet:

The Development Control Committee where the plans were rejected earlier this month 

The planning application, the third submitted by property developer St George, planned to build 330 homes, though only 15 per cent would have been affordable – falling considerably short of the council’s 50 per cent target for new developments.

Building 200,000 affordable homes across the country featured in the Conservative Party manifesto pledge this year.

Mr Johnson has also pledged to invest £1.8bn to the building of 45,000 of those in London.

A spokesman from the Mayor’s office could not confirm whether or not the old post office application would be considered as holding strategic importance, but did say applications with “the provision of more than 150 houses, or flats” must be considered as part of the London Plan’s pledge to tackle the housing crisis.

Kingston Residents’ Alliance said in an official statement: “We got the vote we have been seeking for over a year, but the reasons attached to the councillors’ refusal were so worryingly restrictive it is very hard to celebrate properly.

“This is far from over.”

Grove Councillor Jon Tolley said: “If all the councillors unanimously say that it is wrong, the two local MPs say that it is wrong and all the residents say it is wrong then that has to be a strong message.

“But the reasons it was refused were partly weak, the density and scale of the plans have not been refused.”

The Surrey Comet has contacted St George to find out about possible plans to lodge an appeal with the planning inspectorate. But a spokesman said: “We are considering our options.”

Kingston Council leader Kevin Davis said: “I’ve no idea if the Mayor’s office will or will not call it in. They don’t call in too many I don’t think.”

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