An office building will knocked down to make way for more than 100 flats – many of which will have shared kitchen and living areas.

Imperial House, in The Hyde, Burnt Oak, will be demolished and four blocks of flats up to 16 storeys high built on the site.

The development will provide 102 homes, a quarter of which will be affordable – below the 40 per cent target set by the council.

Most of the units will be ‘cluster living’ accommodation – two and three-bedroom flats that have en-suite toilets and showers but share kitchens and living space.

The affordable flats will be for shared ownership, which allows people to buy part of the home and pay rent on the remaining share.

Responding to a consultation on the scheme, The Greater London Authority said the affordable housing offer was “not acceptable”.

But applicants Arthur West House Limited and Regent Land and Development submitted a financial viability report showing the scheme was not economically viable.

Council papers say the affordable units are being provided voluntarily over and above the maximum viable position.

The council received seven objections and 13 letters of support for the plans, which were discussed at a meeting of the planning committee on Monday (November 4).

Speaking in favour of the plans, neighbour Alistair de Kare-Silver said: “I live opposite the proposed block. I am supportive of this scheme.

“London is facing a chronic housing shortage. I as a young Londoner struggled for many years to get on the property ladder; I had to live at home for a number of years and saved pretty hard.

“I support the proposals for people like myself who want to do the right thing and get on the housing ladder.

“I am also in favour of this proposal because, as it stands, the derelict warehouse on the site is pretty grim. At the moment, the car park attracts crime, antisocial behaviour and people using the area to do drugs or whatever else.”

Representing the applicant, a planning consultant said the developer aimed to provide a “high standard of affordable accommodation for young people in work, who are in the early stages of their career but who can’t afford rent or buy in the private sector”.

He added: “The rent levels are set in line with those on the London Living Wage, which is £10.55 per hour.”

After councillors were given reassurances about the standards of the accommodation, the scheme was unanimously approved by members of the committee.