Members of a campaign group have blasted Kingston Council for failing to send officers to a public meeting on redevelopment plans in New Malden – even though about 200 residents attended.

Surrey Comet:

The Cocks Crescent site is currently the home of one of the borough's two swimming pools 

The Malden Independent Community Organisation (MICO) organised a meeting at the Malden Centre, in Blagdon Road, on Saturday, hoping council officers would attend to talk through proposals to redevelop the Fountain Roundabout and Cocks Crescent.

The council is currently running consultations into demolishing the roundabout as part of the mini-Holland programme and a draft planning document on the Cocks Crescent site.

Monday, August 15: Kingston Council grilled over plans to redevelop New Malden's Cocks Crescent

Sunday, June 18: Swimming pool is residents' biggest worry in Cocks Crescent redevelopment

Sunday, November 1, 2015: Public consultation on Cocks Crescent redevelopment calls on council to secure future of New Malden's leisure centre

But no officers attended the meeting, despite 200 residents attending to put forward questions to the council.

Mary Clark, New Malden councillor and MICO member, said: “There is no reason why they couldn’t have come to the Malden Centre - if I was one of the administration it would be different. They were given ample notice, they were given two weeks in fact.

“What have they got to be suspicious of? We just want a consultation that’s done properly. They don’t like us because we are bringing the truth to the attention of the public.

“We had to start turning people away, it was amazing. Even [on Sunday] we had another 25 people ringing saying they couldn’t come.”

MICO was set up by Coombe Boys School pupil James Giles last month in response to development proposals for New Malden.

The group sets out its aims as “preventing overdevelopment in New Malden and protecting the heritage of our town”.

The New Malden and Grove residents associations did organise a question and answer session at the Malden Centre two weeks ago with council workers who put together the draft Cocks Crescent planning document grilled by residents.

Councillor Terry Paton, deputy Kingston Council leader, said: “Kingston Council is committed to resident engagement in all of our public consultations.

With ample notice we will always strive to attend public meetings to ensure we can listen to concerns and answer questions from local residents.”