A controversial housing scheme to concrete over green land in Copers Cope has been thrown out for a fifth time.

Developer West and Partners put in fresh plans for Footzie Social Club in Lower Sydenham Road as they take on the council in a planning row.

This was the fifth time developers have tried to push through a housing scheme for the former social club.

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Planning chiefs turned down larger applications claiming it would be “inappropriate” development on protected metropolitan open land.

West and Partners previous proposal for 151 homes in a block between three and eight storeys tall was rejected back in April last year.

The developers went over the council’s head to appeal to the planning inspectorate for a decision as the council had not decided within five months of the plans emerging.

At the same time new plans were put forward for a slightly scaled-down scheme in a bid to get council backing in December.

Adamant councillors again rejected the proposals on Tuesday night in a bid to protect the open space from being built over.

Councillor Alexa Michael, chairman of development control committee, said: “There have been a number of previous applications relating to this site, all of which are similar in nature. ​This application is practically identical to the one the applicant is now appealing against.

“Bromley Council cannot and will not accept a proposal which proposes to concrete over precious Metropolitan Open Land, which is akin to Green Belt land.

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“We do not believe there are very special circumstances here, which is the only way that planning permission could ever be granted.

“We will, no doubt, expand on these principles at the forthcoming appeal following a previous rejection”.

West and Partners claimed the improved level of affordable housing in their new proposal –  54 homes – would be close to double what has been achieved across the borough over the last three years.

Earlier this year the council confirmed it would be contesting the ongoing planning appeal.