A large redevelopment in a quiet road in Sutton is in the works despite being rejected by the council and opposed by residents.

The ex-care home in Cavendish Road can now be demolished to make way for a block of 16 flats, which the council had rejected in January 2017 on the grounds it didn’t fit the character of the street.

The developer appealed to the Planning Inspectorate, who decided in favour of the redevelopment following a hearing last month.

Sutton South councillor Richard Clifton said he is ‘outraged’ by the decision, adding that it thwarts local democracy and ignores the wishes of neighbours.

His main objection was that the design of the building was unsympathetic to the green, suburban character of the road and the area.

Councillor Clifton said "We need to have high standards and I thought this design just not good enough for Sutton.

“I regret that the national planning system allows developers to bypass local democracy and appeal to this remote body, whose decision is final."

There were more than 30 letters of objection about the plans.

Grahame Gould, an inspector from the Planning Inspectorate, argued that Cavendish Road contained a mix of buildings of different eras, from Victorian to post Second World War.

He said: “The architecture and scale of the buildings in Cavendish Road exhibit great variation, with there being houses and blocks of flats providing accommodation on between two and six floors.

“The block would provide accommodation spread over three and four floors and while it would be considerably larger than the building to be replaced, I consider it would not look out of place within Cavendish Road’s street scene.

“It is now common in Cavendish Road for larger and taller blocks to be sited next to two storey buildings.”

The developer has agreed to contribute £258,065.00 to the Council for affordable housing before works begin, as none of the flats will provide affordable housing.