Plans for a 14-storey-tower block in Abbey Wood yards from the new Crossrail station have emerged.

Housing charity Peabody, which is heading up one of Europe’s biggest regeneration schemes in Thamesmead, is consulting on plans for a housing block in Abbey Road on the site of the old Harrow Inn.

Peabody is proposing a 14-storey-tower and 62 homes at the empty site, along with improvements to the area surrounding it.

A petition has been started in response to the plans, calling on the developers to scale back the height of the proposed building and add extra shop space.

A spokesman for Peabody said: “We want to provide new homes of the highest quality close to the new Elizabeth Line. Designed by award-winning architects Bell Phillips, our proposals for Abbey Road reflect this, though we recognise there are some concerns about the height of the building.

“We are consulting with the community and London Borough of Bexley on the plans, which will deliver new homes and commercial space on a site that is currently empty.

“Residents can view the initial proposals at the Thamesmead Information Hub on Yarnton Way. We take all feedback into account and are reviewing the design proposals with a view to consulting further over the summer.”

The site is the former Harrow Inn pub, a boozer that dates back more than 300 years – thought to have existed since about 1715.

The plans, which are yet to be finalised, are part of a wider masterplan for homes in Abbey Wood, which also involves more than 500 new homes in Southmere Village.

Bexley Council has earmarked Abbey Wood as an area for redevelopment in its growth strategy, which sets out a vision for 4,000 new homes in Thamesmead and Abbey Wood by 2050.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has also earmarked south Thamesmead and Abbey Wood as a major development area, dubbing it a Housing Zone and offering extra funding for Peabody and Bexley Council to develop homes.

Plans for the 14-storey tower in Abbey Wood can be seen every Tuesday and Wednesday and the first Saturday of the month from 11am to 4pm in Yarnton Way.