A block of flats with a children’s playground on the roof has been approved despite more than 1,000 objections. to it.

Angry Sanderstead residents packed into Croydon Town Hall on Thursday night (August 1) to show their opposition to plans for 33 new flats in Barrowsfield.

They claim the development is not in keeping with Sanderstead village and will be overbearing.

Barrowsfield resident Andy Bell said he was speaking on behalf of more than 1,100 objectors to the plans.

He said: “It is a phenomenal intrusion of privacy and a loss of amenity.”

Mr Bell added that as Sanderstead has a low public transport accessibility level (PTAL) it would put pressure on parking in the area.

The plans, which were put forward by Quantum Land and Planning, include 26 parking spaces as well as space to keep 64 bicycles.

The five-storey building will be made up of five one-bedroom, 15 two-bedroom and 13 three-bedroom flats.

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The proposed designs

Of these, three will be offered at affordable rent and two through shared ownership.

A spokeswoman speaking for the applicant described the plans are fully policy compliant.

She added: “They are mixed market and affordable homes providing much needed homes in the borough.

“The application site is located in a sustainable location.”

But Sanderstead ward councillor Lynne Hale branded the plans a ‘travesty’.

Councillor Hale said: “It is completely lacking in the architectural merit you would expect in a village application.

“Can we honestly say that this over-intensification respects the character of the village.

“It includes quite astonishingly children’s play area on the top of a fifth floor rooftop.”

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The existing building

Her concerns about the play area were echoed by Councillor Scott Roche.

They both said a ground floor play space would be possible if there were less flats in the application.

But Councillor Paul Scott hit back saying that objections from residents are not ‘material considerations’ in the planning committee’s decision.

He said: “We have a housing crisis and every residential part of this borough is going to have to change.

“That does mean taking some bold decisions rather than just crossing our fingers hoping that homes will come along.

“Yes the location does have a low PTAL rating but it has good access to shops and good on site parking. A carefully carried out assessment found that there are 47 spaces within 200 metres of the site.”

The plans were approved by the committee with six votes to four while disappointed residents shouted ‘shame’ from the public gallery.