Mayor of London Boris Johnson has given the final green light for building work to start on four new high-rise blocks next to Tolworth Tower.

Mr Johnson met with his strategic planning team on Thursday afternoon to review the controversial plans passed by Kingston Council’s development control committee on January 12.

Councillors and residents wrote to the mayor after the decision urging him to quash the CNM Estates plan but to no avail.

A spokesman for the mayor’s office said: “As London’s population continues to grow apace, the mayor has been clear about the importance of building the homes the capital so urgently needs.

“This development not only provides a good mix of office and retail use, but will deliver 308 new homes for Londoners.

“His planning team have carried out a detailed assessment of the plans, which includes securing a £3m contribution to off-site affordable housing, and the mayor has agreed that in this case the decision by Kingston Council to approve the application should stand.”