Greenwich and Woolwich MP Matthew Pennycook has thrown his weight against a plan to build a block of flats on a thin sliver of land next to a Deptford playground.

Developers Aurora Apartments lodged an appeal earlier this year after Greenwich Council threw out their bid to build the three-storey block on a small plot of land next to the Armada Community Project and Charlotte Turner Gardens in McMillan Street.

Locals objected to the plans, saying children would lose out on “vital” play space, while fears were raised a nursery playground next door would have been plunged into darkness by the proposal.

They were backed by the council, who said the design and scale would be “unsympathetic and over dominant” to its surroundings.

The developers subsequently appealed the decision, with Mr Pennycook this week taking to social media to appeal for residents to lobby the planning inspector to reject the appeal.

“Anyone who knows Charlotte Turner Gardens in SE8 will appreciate what a vital community asset it is,” the former Greenwich ward councillor said.

“It is crucial that as many local residents as possible who have concerns about this development proposal, and who have not previously submitted concerns to the council, object.”

In his letter to the inspectorate, Mr Pennycook said: “I cannot stress enough how constrained the parcel of land in question is.”

“The design, massing and scale of the proposed development on this site would completely dominate the street scene, overshadow the well-used children’s play area directly to the north of it and blight what is at present an open and accessible broad entrance to the adjacent Charlotte Turner Gardens,” he wrote.

“As one of the few green spaces in the Deptford Green area of my constituency where the site in question is located, Charlotte Turner Gardens is a much-valued and incredibly well-used asset for what is, despite the construction of a small number of new build developments over recent years, an incredibly deprived community.”

Those wishing to write to the Inspectorate regarding the development can do so by emailing RT2@planninginspectorate.gov.uk by August 21.