Plans for blocks of flats up to 26 storeys high on the site of a former police training centre have been approved by councillors.

Developer Redrow has won permission to build 1,200 homes at Colindale Gardens, Aerodrome Road, Colindale.

It is the third phase of a scheme that will eventually provide more than 4,000 homes – a significant increase on previous proposals for the site of the former Peel Centre.

In 2015, permission was granted for 2,900 homes on the site. Several later amendments saw the amount of housing planned for phase three brought forward and included in the first two phases.

The new application changes the heights of some blocks, pushing the tallest tower block from 20 to 26 storeys. It also adds affordable homes to the development – 35 per cent “by habitable room”.

Despite 66 objections to the scheme – including one from MP for Hendon Matthew Offord – it was given the go-ahead at a meeting of Barnet Council’s planning committee on Wednesday (July 22) and will now be referred to the Mayor of London.

Objecting to the plans, Laurence Wormald, a resident of Colindale Gardens, told the meeting: “It is a cynical application which, if allowed, will reduce the sunlight, increase the congestion, reduce the air quality, increase the parking problems and reduce the privacy for the residents of Colindale Gardens.”

Cllr Gill Sargeant (Labour, Colindale) said she was pleased to see affordable housing would be provided, but added large developments need to have enough public open space for residents.

She said a building on an estate redevelopment in Manchester had been pulled down due to a lack of open space – and she feared the same could happen in this case.

But Susie Hartas, senior planning manager at Redrow Homes, defended the proposals.

She said: “The proposed scale and massing is the result of constructive pre-application discussions with your planning and design officers.

“The proposed heights represent an increase on the original, consented stage three, but this is considered to better complement the existing and emerging context of the area, which has evolved in recent years.

“The scheme is considered acceptable in planning terms and has the support of the council’s professional team as well as the GLA.”

Under questioning from Cllr Nagus Narenthira (Labour, Colindale), Ms Hartas claimed reducing the number of homes would “inevitably have an impact on the viability of the scheme”.

The development was approved after nine committee members voted in favour, with two against and one abstention.

If it is given the green light by the Mayor of London, it will also provide 351 square metres of flexible retail space and 0.5 car parking spaces per unit.