Campaigners have been left "shattered" after developers were granted permission to demolish a former pub and replace it with a five storey block of flats.

The derelict Emma Hamilton pub in Kingston Road, opposite Wimbledon Chase station, closed in 2010 and was bought by Stadium Capital Holdings.

Its new owners first submitted plans to demolish the pub and build a five storey building with 57 flats in December 2011, which was refused by the planning applications committee.

A revised submission was submitted in August 2012 for a four-storey building containing 55 flats, also rejected in November 2012.

On both applications, councillors deemed the building too large for the site.

There were also concerns over a lack of affordable housing.

Campaigners from the Wimbledon Chase Residents Association (WCRA) hoped the second scheme could be tweaked to suit residents wishes for a smaller building without a retail element.

However developers lodged an appeal upheld this week by an independent planning inspector who overturned the council’s decision, granting permission for both applications.

Inspector John Chase said in his report that either scheme "would have the necessary quality of design to enhance the character and appearance of the area" and that continued negotiations between the main parties had resulted in "a proportion" of affordable housing in each scheme being agreed to maintain their viability.

A spokesperson for WCRA said: "We are obviously very disappointed with this outcome.

"When you put a lot of effort into trying to stand up for what is right in your local community it is shattering to come close to a sensible outcome for all parties and then see that snatched away.

"This hasn't been a case of 'not in my backyard'; we accept that there is a need for housing and that this is a good site for that.

"All we wanted was something that worked for all. "Ultimately the developers brought in some expensive lawyers and they, along with a big name architect, were able to sway the case totally in their favour.

"We now hope they will go for the four storey scheme and not the five storey one - but no one is holding their breath."