A Croydon MP has had his bid to build the "biggest granny annex ever seen" unanimously rejected by the council's planning committee.

Members of the committee said plans for the two-storey, four-bedroom house for Andrew Pelling's parents-in-law was too big.

The new house would have been built on land in front of his Croham Valley Road home in South Croydon.

But Councillor Paul Scott, the shadow cabinet member for planning, environment and urban development, said: "I think it is the biggest granny annex I have ever seen and it is an extremely greedy application for this site.

"It is totally wrong and inappropriate in this location. I would have liked to see a more considerate approach from someone in office."

Mr Pelling was not at the meeting but afterwards the Croydon Central MP hit back at Coun Scott - labelling him unprofessional.

Mr Pelling said: "I felt he acted most inappropriately in his comments.

"The committee operates in a semi-judicial fashion and personal remarks about me, my family and my politics should have nothing to do with the decision-making process on such applications.

"As far as it being the biggest granny flat he has ever seen, I think Coun Scott does not know my family circumstances. We want my wife Lucy's parents closer to us after her dad had a heart attack and, as we are often up in parliament working long hours, it is a place for my children to be with her mother."

Mr Pelling, who is also the London Assembly member for Croydon and Sutton, withdrew a previous planning application in April, saying he wanted to enhance the plans and introduce more green ideas into the design. A similar application by previous occupiers was also rejected in 1990.

He added: "I thought the meeting was conducted very professionally and I respect the decision of the committee. I will not be appealing to the planning inspectorate."