The chair of Croydon Council’s planning committee threatened to call the police on an 85-year-old woman at a meeting last night (Thursday, September 26).

The committee approved plans for eight flats to be built on the site of a bungalow in Woodmere Avenue in Shirley North.

But after councillors voted five to four for the plans to go ahead, one woman began to shout from the public gallery,

Clearly upset, she shouted that she is the 85-year-old woman who lives next to the now approved development.

She added: “Three minutes you have given us to talk about our lives. I am cross do you understand.”

Chair of the committee Councillor Toni Letts repeatedly asked the woman to sit down and eventually leave.

When the woman did not do this Cllr Letts said: “We have made the decision please leave. 

“Madam I do not want to call the police, but I will so please leave.”

She ordered the town hall security to call the police before the meeting took a five minute break.

The police were not called in the end and the meeting resumed.

Although council meetings are held in public residents are only permitted to speak if they have been assigned one of four three minute speaking slots.

Councillor Scott Roche, a member of the committee, thinks the situation last night could have been avoided if Cllr Letts decided to take a break as soon as the woman started shouting.

After the meeting he said: “She was one of the people who was going to be directly affected by the plans and she felt she wasn’t getting listened to. 

“Sometimes we forget that these things do affect people, and she was clearly annoyed by it.

“She was shouting and rather than walking away and letting her have her rant Cllr Letts threatened calling the police which I think made it worse and the security were put into a position where they didn’t know what to do.

“I do think the chair should have said we’re taking a break straight away but she kept engaging with her.

What actually are the Woodmere Avenue plans? 

The approved flats are made up of one three-bedroom, four two-bedroom and a single one bedroom flat.

The plans include eight parking spaces as well as 14 spaces for bicycle parking.

But Councillor Gareth Streeter expressed concerns about the impact on immediate neighbours to the development.

This was echoed by objector Richard Chambers who lives opposite the development said he spoke on behalf of other residents.

He said that this is the third similar development that has been proposed in the same road.

“We are up to 500 new residencies in our patch of the borough and the question in residents’ minds is what is next?” he said.

But agent for the applicant, Valeene Preddie, said that the homes include a three bedroom flat with a garden which would replace the bungalow provision.

She added: “The proposal is in the ideal location with sufficient space for the development and meets the government objective to increase the numbers of homes which meet and exceed planning standard.”

As the plans have now been approved, the applicant will have three years to start work on the site.