Residents cheered as councillors unanimously rejected plans to demolish garages and build flats in Berrylands.

Developers Gillenden Development were thwarted in their plans to build 16 two bedroom flats on South Terrace, Surbiton, at a planning meeting held last week.

The council received 37 letters of objection and a petition from residents alarmed about the design and scale of the proposed building.

Some residents were also concerned the four storey building would obstruct light to their properties.

Christine Maschant, who lives opposite the site, said residents had no objections to a “sensible” development.

She said: “We would welcome development on the site because it the garages are a bit of an eye sore.

“But it must be something sensible, not four storeys as was proposed, and something that benefits families, like three bedroom properties, as there will be a need when the new school is built.”

The council were unhappy the plans only included three affordable housing units after an independent study from retail expert BNP Paribas revealed at least one more would be viable for the scheme.

Berrylands Councillor Frances Moseley said: “We would have preferred more affordable housing but that was not a legitimate reason to turn down the application.

“The design would have blocked out the lines for house on South Terrace so which we decided was not acceptable.

“The applicant could have made changes to the proposal that would have been deemed more acceptable but they didn’t so we had no choice but to reject it.”

Gillenden Development, who would have had to pay over £65,000 as a planning sweetener if the decision had been approved, has six months to lodge an appeal against the decision.

The Surrey Comet was unable to contact the Surrey based firm before going to press.