A plan for more than 450 new homes off Manor Road in Richmond has been given the go-ahead, with construction expected to begin in the summer.

The £250 million development is on a site currently occupied by businesses including Homebase, Pets At Home and We Buy Any Car.

It will provide 453 apartments and penthouses, with 173 homes classed as affordable.

The controversial development by Avanton was initially refused by Richmond Council in 2019 due to the lack of affordable housing and the "intrusive" design and scale of the development.

The plans were called in by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and revised to include more homes, with Mr Khan granting planning permission in October.

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Mr Khan said the council had "a long way to go to deliver on the affordable housing targets as set out in the London plan".

He said: "This site is well-connected, under-utilised, previously developed land that is exactly the kind of site we need to intensify if we are to develop in a sustainable manner, protect the green belt ,and deliver the homes Londoners need."

Richmond Park MP Sarah Olney referred the scheme to the Secretary of State, Robert Jenrick, saying it is in conflict with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Richmond's Local Plan (LP).

But Mr Jenrick has since confirmed that he does not wish to call in the application, meaning that the planning approval stands and the development can go-ahead.

His decision not to intervene will dismay local campaigners and thousands of residents who oppose the development.

Under the plans existing buildings will be demolished and replaced with four buildings between four and 11 storeys tall.

A spokesperson for Avanton said they were "delighted" the project has been granted the go-ahead.

They added: "The new urban-village will create a collection of high quality private sale homes and will also have a transformative effect on access to affordable housing in Richmond, providing the same as the total number of new affordable homes that have been delivered in the entire borough over the last three years.

"The highly sustainable design blends high quality buildings with extensive landscaping and a linear pocket-park. Construction of the project will commence in summer 2021 and take 30 months."

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