Campaigners will stage an online protest against housing plans they claim are an “affront to local democracy”.

Members of Save Cockfosters will stage the demonstration – which will be livestreamed on Facebook – against proposals by Transport for London (TfL) and Grainger to build 351 homes on the station car parks at Cockfosters Underground Station.

As well as being chairman of TfL, the Mayor of London can act as a planning authority on applications of “potential strategic importance to London” – which include developments of more than 150 homes.

This means that even if a council’s planning committee refuses permission for such a development, the mayor can “call in” the decision and allow the scheme to go ahead or delegate the decision to another senior member of the Greater London Authority.

A Save Cockfosters spokesperson said: “As head of TfL, the Mayor of London is applying to develop in our borough. We have an excellent case against the plans, as they are contrary to Enfield Council’s local planning policies and the Mayor’s own ‘London Plan’ policies.

“However, if our council does its duty properly and says ‘no’ to the plans, guess who gets the final say on whether it goes ahead? Yep, that’s right, the Mayor of London! It’s an affront to local democracy.”

It comes as TfL denied an accusation that an area of open space near the car parks had been “sneaked” into the scheme while the proposals were being developed.

Save Cockfosters claimed the 815sq m area next to the station car park was not included in proposals from June 2019 but was added in to later designs published in May this year.

A spokesperson for the group said: “To say that local residents will want to socialise, congregate and allow their children to play in this so-called ‘public’ space sandwiched between tower blocks, when Trent Park is literally next door, is beyond absurd.

“And on the flip side, the idea, in the post-Coronavirus world, that its inhabitants would be happy with the idea of having no private communal space whatsoever, is equally absurd.”

But TfL denied the claims and said the land had always been included in the proposals.

Ben Tate, head of property development at TfL, said: “We appreciate that open space for all is vital and have designed the landscaping to ensure that the green spaces can be used by residents and the local community.

“The small section of open space adjacent to the car park has always been included within the proposed redevelopment.

“However, the new scheme will provide far more open space, and the new space will be higher quality, more accessible, and with additional trees and greenery. In total, the new scheme will offer 3,500 sq m of open space, equivalent to half a football pitch, across the development.”

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “The Cockfosters development is a key part of the Mayor and TfL’s ongoing work to deliver the homes Londoners desperately need.

“Forty per cent of the homes on this site will be genuinely affordable and the concerns of local residents have been taken into consideration at every stage of the planning process.”

To join the online protest, visit the Save Cockfosters Facebook page on Tuesday, June 30 at 8.30pm.

The Facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/savecockfosters