A site vacant for eight years will be home to 29 new flats after a developer’s plans were given the go-ahead in Surbiton.

The existing buildings on the land by Red Lion Road and Ravenscar Road will be demolished to make way for 13 one-bedroom, seven two-bedroom, and nine three-bedroom apartments, a private 24-space carpark and terrace.

There will 46 cycle spaces available, along with three disabled bays.

Surrey Comet: The site

Although the council’s planning policy states new developments of more than 10 units must have 50 per cent affordable housing, 70 per cent of which should be social, but the developers, Cornerstone Homes, have argued against this.

They want 20 per cent affordable housing, which equates to six apartments, because the site is “not in use”, “not covered by recently expired permission”, not protected, and has “not been made vacant for the sole purpose of redevelopment”.

Cornerstone has three years to start building on the land before the permission expires.

A tree on Ravenscar Road will be removed during the development, but none of the trees within the site will be felled.

Cornerstone aims to plant trees surrounding the site- two lime trees, one Cherry tree and several Juneberries after the flats are built.

Surrey Comet: The tree that will be cut down

The development will be one, two, three and four storeys tall including roofs.