A decision has been made behind closed doors at the council to extend the permit for the controversial Epsom station re-development, sparking anger from residents.

On March 16, Epsom and Ewell Council officers decided to extend permission given in 2005 for plans to rebuild the station creating new facilities, shops and flats.

However, a new equally controversial planning application by the same developer, Solum Regeneration, which includes a 64 bedroom hotel and 67 car parking spaces, is still due to be decided on at a special meeting on April 22.

Janet Burgess, who lives near the station, said: “We were informed by letter that this application had been given permission again and we thought it was very sneaky of the council to do it this way.

“We contacted a local councillor who told us that permission has been extended on a previous application and that further permission would be sought for the hotel and car park.

"As we have said before, we do not need a hotel on this site, particularly one without parking.

"As residents we feel we have been left in the dark regarding this development.

“It’s about talking to everybody now and seeing where it goes from here.”

Edward Rose, a black cab driver who previously claimed there will be traffic chaos in Epsom if the new planning application gets permission on April 22, was also unhappy with the council decision to extend the 2005 permission without consulting the public.

He said: “We think this should be dealt with in public and not just be notified by letter after it happens because people who were here in 2005 may not live here anymore and the new residents are being denied the chance to object to this application.”

A spokeswoman for Epsom and Ewell Council said: “This application was determined at a Planning committee meeting on 13 January 2005, subject to the completion of a legal agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1991. The meeting was open to the press and the public.

“The current application will be determined on its own merits.

"However, the previous decision on the site will have a bearing as it is a fall-back position for the developers and this may be a consideration for members in determining the current proposal.”

The 2005 planning application includes a Section 106 agreement between the council, Network Rail and Solum Regeneration which states improvements of about £2m should be made to the area if construction begins.

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