A controversial housing scheme to concrete over green land in Copers Cope is set to be rejected for a fifth time.

Developers 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 is the fifth time developers have tried to push through schemes for the former social club with previous attempts blocked because of the use of protected land.

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.

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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.

West and Partners claim the 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.

However, planning experts at Bromley Council have recommended councillors throw out the plans next week.

They said in a new report: “The applicant has failed to demonstrate very special circumstances or that the proposal is a sustainable form of development.

“In particular, the substantial level of harm that would arise from the development by way of harm to the MOL and visual harm is considered to outweigh any housing land supply or other socio-economic benefits that would arise.

“The proposal would result in an overdevelopment of the site.”

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

Cllr Alexa Michael, chairman of the development control committee, said in September the council doesn’t want to lose its metropolitan open land.

Cllr Michael said: “We do not think the applicant has demonstrated the very special circumstances that would be required to grant a planning permission.

“We have previously rejected an application for residential development on this site and we will be outlining our strong principled positions to the planning inspector.

“We also consider that it is an inappropriate location for tall buildings and the scale and massing would also amount to overdevelopment.”