Harrow Borough Council’s cabinet member for planning said the decision to approve the development of 189 new homes was “carefully considered”.

Councillor Stephen Greek made the comments after the planning committee unanimously granted permission for the development on the former Edgware Town FC football ground on Wednesday night.

He said: “Planning permission for this development was granted in 2010. With this application we were being asked to approve various details, including design of the buildings and landscaping.

“We carefully considered these and agreed unanimously that all the relevant guidelines and standards had been met.”

The proposals will include six blocks of flats ranging in size from three-storeys to six-storeys and 11 houses.

Concerns were raised at the meeting on Wednesday evening by Jack Welby who lives in Edgware and spoke against the plans.

He said people had not been given the chance to fully consider the proposals and were not able to have their say about the plans.

However a council officer pointed out the application before the committee was not about the plans for the size and scale of the development, but the aesthetic design of the buildings.

Permission for the development was granted four years ago and with last nights approval developer Weston Homes hope to start work on the site in the month or two.

The site became derelict in 2008 after Edgware Town FC dissolved and the land was sold for development.