A controversial plan to build 1,063 homes and a Secondary School on the site of the former Stag Brewery in Mortlake is being recommended for approval.

A special Planning Committee meeting is due tomorrow – Wednesday - to decide on the scheme which has been at the centre of almost five years of wrangling.

Local residents, community groups and Green councillors object to key elements of the scheme, arguing the massive project, including some housing blocks that are nine storeys high, will 'overwhelm' Mortlake, its roads, rail and bus services.

There are also objections to the building of a new Secondary School for 1,200 pupils with locals arguing that a falling birth rate means it will become a white elephant.

A report from Council planning officers recommends that the Committee approves the scheme, saying they should authorise officials to push ahead subject to agreeing a number of smallprint conditions.

It states: "These applications are deemed to represent a high quality development that will deliver significant community benefits that outweigh the harm, through the housing contribution; provision of a much needed secondary school; the creation of the much sought after 'new Heart' to Mortlake; public realm, access to the River, sporting facilities and employment opportunities.

"The proposal is considered to accord with the Development Plan when taken as a whole; planning permission should therefore be granted and there are no material considerations identified which indicate otherwise."

Early estimates for the cost of the scheme put the figure at £600 million, however – increases in development costs – suggest the final bill will be considerably higher.

The developer will be required to pay the Council and the Greater London Authority a so-called Community Infrastructure (CIL) to improve infrastructure in the borough and cope with the arrival of as many as 6,000 people to live and work on the site at Mortlake.

The scale of this figure has yet to be decided, however the Council has estimated it could be between £45m and £66m.

The decision of Richmond's Planning Committee will not be the final word on the scheme. Its scale means that it will also have to be approved by the Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London.

Planning applications for the site, which is being developed by Reselton Properties, has been bounced between the Council and Mayor of London since 2018.

An initial scheme, which was approved by the Council, included 813 homes, but this was rejected - following protests - by the Mayor due to a lack of affordable homes. A second scheme pushed up the number of homes to 1,250, but this was rejected on the grounds of over-development on a sensitive site.

This latest iteration of the development includes 1,003 private properties and 65 affordable homes.

The number of affordable homes is down from 77 in the last application, however the mix includes more large family properties, where there is a particular shortage in the borough.

As well as a mix of apartment blocks and some terraced houses, there will be shops, restaurants, offices, a pub/hotel and cinema. The school will have associated sports facilities and pitches, that will be open to community use.

Hundreds of residents have objected to the scheme along with the Mortlake Brewery Community Group, the Mortlake Community Association, the Kew Society, the Thames Bank Residents Association, the Towpath Group.

All argue that the size and height of the apartment blocks - cramming so many homes on to the site - would overwhelm the local area, including the already jammed roads, where traffic has to negotiate a nearby level crossing, as well as train and bus services

The Barnes Community Association complained: "The Scheme is unsustainable in its scale and density. It will swell the existing population of Mortlake by some 80%."

It criticised the building of the complex as 'unimaginative' and described the layout as 'soulless'.

Green councillor, Niki Crookdake, argued the apartment blocks are too high 'in terms of safety and aesthetics'. She said there is a loss of green space and rejected the need for a large Secondary School, suggesting a smaller Primary would be more appropriate.

The councillor argued that the extra vehicle movements would increase jams on surrounding roads that are already 'unbearable'.

Reselton has embarked on a major social media and leafletting campaign in a bid to win over residents.

A spokesman told Nub News: "Mortlake is an attractive and friendly community nestled along the Thames and proud to be associated with the Oxford Cambridge Boat race every year.

"However, this golden opportunity to showcase the village is tarnished by the redundant Stag Brewery which acts as physical barrier between Mortlake and the river.

"We have started to receive very positive feedback, particularly from those residents and families who are too busy to attend one-off exhibitions.

" In particular, we have witnessed positive feedback about the wide array of benefits to Mortlake, including the new 1200 pupil secondary school, affordable homes, local cinema, retail, hotel and offices, football pitch, community park and open green spaces that will benefit the community.

"Our plans also include provision to invest over £45m in improving local infrastructure in Richmond, through highways works, contributions to bus services, cycle parking spaces and new pedestrian routes.

"Our plans are supported by detailed transport, environmental and social assessment reports which have been robustly tested and supported by TfL and Richmond's own traffic engineers and environmental officers."