A developer is selling off four Sanderstead homes which were supposed to be knocked down to make way for more than 30 flats.

It comes after a court upheld covenants on the land which said only single homes could be built on the plot.

Quantum Homes was given permission for a block of 33 flats in Barrowsfield, Sanderstead back in 2018.

There was strong opposition from locals with more than 1,000 people objecting to a planning application for the five-storey building.

However, with the planning permission due to run out, the developer had applied to the Royal Courts of Justice to allow it to go against the historic covenants.

Now, four plots in Barrowsfield are being sold off at auction due to take place on March 13 after the court upheld the rules of the land.

Auction listings on estate agents Bernard Marcus show that two four-bedroom semi-detached houses have guide prices of £475,000 while another four-bedroom house has a guide price of £410,000.

The final three-bedroom detached bungalow is listed with a guide price of £370,000.

Local ward councillor, Yvette Hopley, thinks the developer is now “cutting their losses”.

She said: “The development cant go ahead because the covenants will be enforced – I think the developer is cutting his losses to sell as individual plots. 

"They can’t build that horrendous block of flats because it doesn’t fit with the covenant.

“If they are returned to single dwellings this will be very positive. It is exciting that residents have won something, they have kept quite private about it but they are delighted about it.”

The developer was contacted but did not give a comment before publication.