Developers have been accused of designing a “poor door” into their plans for the old post office site in Kingston’s town centre.

Plans for a separate entrance to serve affordable housing tenants came under fire from Green election candidate Claire Keogh.

But planners’ documents said keeping tenancy types and their services separate would protect the affordable side from increases in service costs across the divide.

Ms Keogh said: “There is absolutely no excuse for any ‘poor door’ or separate entrance.

“It is just social segregation.

“There is not much being done in Kingston about inequality in these housing developments. Affordable rent clearly is not a priority.”

Developers should be under more pressure from Kingston Council to adhere to its policy governing the proportion of new homes designated affordable, Ms Keogh added.

A recent application, for new flats on the site of the former petrol garage in Brighton Road, Surbiton, claimed including any affordable homes was “not viable”.

She said: “It highlights the problem when profit is the priority in housing.”

Councillor Ian George, lead member for housing, said: “We are making every effort to get everything we can. We do go out of our way to independently check all the figures.

“We do realise it is a big problem. We need housing of all sorts to be built.”

Planning documents for the post office scheme said: “If the two tenures were to share services then future increases in service costs, which would otherwise be absorbed by private occupiers, could potentially jeopardise the long-term affordability of any affordable rent homes.

“It is therefore proposed that good management practice is maintained through separate access and lifts for the affordable rent homes.”