A controversial planning application which received 205 objections from Battersea residents has been approved. 

Real estate company Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) applied to build a 14-story tower block and Harris Academy a new sports hall but many residents object to it. 

It received only three letters of support. 

The main objections to the application involved the height of the tower block, the loss of light for residents, the loss of privacy and lack of compliancy with the London Plan.

It was also noted that the tower was not in keeping with the low-rise character of the area.

Member of the Planning Applications Committee Councillor Jeremy Ambache said that there was a “good debate” about the application which ended with five for and two against.

He said: “It’s not on party lines but the conservatives were convinced. I’m really disappointed because I wasn’t.”

Cllr Ambache went on to say that residents were being “overshadowed and overlooked” as a result of the application approval.

There were three letters of support for the proposal, all of which highlighted the benefits of the school gym.

One resident said: “My brother attends Harris Academy and I feel the new gym would be a great addition to the school and their children.

“The school has really improved over recent years and I feel this will help them to continue to their success.”

The two others were parents of pupils at Harris Academy and thought the gym would encourage students to engage in more sports.

Councillor Simon Hogg has described the decision as “the most one-sided major planning issue” he had seen in his ward.

He said: "I'm very disappointed by this decision. More than 200 local people objected but their voices were ignored. I’ve not heard from one local person in favour of building this tower block."

"There are currently 25 tower blocks of 12 storeys or higher being built in our borough. One is going to be 58 storeys tall! The council has stopped listening to local people."

Residents who have sent objections have used words such as “outrageously high, out of proportion, intrusive, overbearing, unattractive, a monstrosity, a skyscraper” to describe the tower block.

Some residents tweeted the leader of Wandsworth Labour to voice their displeasure with the decision.

A spokesperson for the Battersea Society, who also objected to the application, said: "We are extremely disappointed. We see this as against the council's own policy and an extremely unneighbourly development.

"The council has gone against our objections, our local MP Jane Ellis and a strong feeling locally."

A council spokesman said: "This scheme will provide much needed new housing for Battersea, including affordable homes for low income families in the area, along with start-up space for small and medium sized local businesses, providing job opportunities and other economic benefits.

"Some of the housing is also being set aside for teachers at the school, which will make it a more attractive option when it comes to recruiting the best teaching staff.

"The developers will also be building, at no cost to the public purse, a modern sports hall and gym for the school which will also be available for community use in the evenings and at weekends.

"We believe this will benefit people of all ages in the local area which is why we supported it.”

Simon Hogg rejects the idea that the move will solve the housing crisis.

He said: "This is just a developer trying too hard to make a profit out of a tight corner plot."

The council has not confirmed the price of the “affordable homes” but the average price of a flat in Wandsworth is £578,182.