Plans to knock down a tool and equipment hire building in Cheam are set to be refused – but councillors claim residents weren’t even told about it to begin with.

Proposals were first submitted to demolish a HSS Hire store in Malden Road last November, making way for two three-storey buildings comprising nine flats.

However, Conservative councillors insist residents affected had not been informed about the public consultation period - where they can support or object the plans - which has since expired.

One of them, Holly Ramsey, who lives “right next door” to the building in question, says she hasn't received a notice for it and apparently neither did people living right above the property.

A letter to the council’s interim boss Mary Morrissey urged for it to be delayed for consideration at planning committee level so residents have the “full opportunity to have their say”.

It reads: “As local councillors we regularly check the upcoming planning applications and we can find no evidence of this [plan] in the searches.

“What is more, residents who live near the above-named property have not received a notice through their doors asking for comments – as is the norm.

“Consequently, it appears the necessary requirements of public consultation have broken down in this case.

“We understand that you will be accepting representations up to January 23, when this is due before the planning committee, but we ask that this be delayed until a later committee so residents have full opportunity to have their say.”

Cllr Colburn followed up with an update to say the council has agreed to reject the plans, though it is still “pending consideration” on the authority’s planning portal at the time of publishing.

The council says the application is searchable on its planning portal and two letters have been received from residents regarding the soon-to-be rejected plans.

Proposals for the HSS Hire shop were submitted on November 20 last year and validated eight days later - of the nine flats proposed there would have been two one-bed homes, two with two beds, and five with three.

A Sutton Council spokesman said: “The application will not come to planning committee as officers intend to refuse permission under delegated authority. Details of this application were available through searching our online planning portal.

“We notified adjoining and adjacent properties as to the application and issued site notices as per our policy. We have received to date two letters from residents regarding this application.

“Details regarding refusal of the application will shortly be posted on our website.”