Actress Annette Crosbie has slammed plans to build a "deeply offensive" three storey retirement home which she has described as nothing more than a "warehouse".

The former Mrs ‘I don’t believe it’ Meldrew, lives in Manor Gardens which backs onto The Nelson Hospital on Kingston Road in Raynes Park which is due to be redeveloped after 15 years of planning wrangling.

If approved the site will be transformed into a new local care centre featuring new facilities and two GP practices with Canon Hill Lane and Church Lane practices due to move into the centre, while the car park will be sold to McCarthy and Stone who have plans to build an assisted living retirement home for 51 residents.

Mrs Crosbie, 78, said: "What angers me is the high handed way it’s been done.

"We haven’t been consulted, not just in Manor Gardens, but those who live around the area.

"I’m deeply offended by the design it.

"This is for people aged 80 and over and I look at this I think this is just not being done with any compassion or interest or empathy.

"It’s been done because the NHS need money and need the developers to do what they need to do to the hospital.

"It looks like a warehouse.

"I don’t care what they decorate the facade with. 51 units of people my age and over are going to be squashed in there to what is a car park on a main road just so that the nelson hospital can be developed."

Another resident of Manor Gardens, Ian Smith, criticised the plans for being "ugly", "intrusive" and "monolithic".

He said: "Manor Gardens is a lovely road and it’s going to be horribly affected by this huge monolithic building which is going to run across the back of Manor Gardens.

"It’s a big thing and will potentially ruin our street.

"Our street is part of the conservation area and there's a directive that says any development in such an area should preserve and enhance the area and should not adversely affect it.

"Our contention is that it’s going to ruin it substantially."

A spokesperson for McCarthy and Stone said: "Our strength lies in our experience of building superb homes tailored to the needs and aspirations of our older residents promoting independence and allowing older people to continue to lead healthy and active lives.

"Our plans aim to meet the needs of residents keen to remain in Merton.

"The proposal would offer an opportunity to introduce a sensitive form of development which is designed to complement the surrounding area and blend with the design of the new hospital."

The development is part of NHS south west London's Better Healthcare Closer to Home initiative (BHCH) to modernise care facilities, provide more care locally and use resources more efficiently.

The plans are due to go before the planning committee on September 6.