Tooting MP Rosena Allin-Khan has written to Wandsworth Council to express her disappointment with its decision to deny a request for a playground outside a homeless shelter.

A petition to build a playground outside Nightingale Square homeless shelter was put to and denied by the council in January.

See related: Wandsworth Council denies request for playground for Nightingale Square homeless shelter in Tooting

It stated: "There are 113 children in Nightingale Square hostel and the parents and children need an area outside for children to play in safely.

"We don’t have gardens and our children need somewhere to be more active and play together.

"We urge our councillors and council to renovate the disused tarmac area in the middle of the hostel into a play area."

Wandsworth Council's reasons for denying the request included the area being "too small and too close to other residential areas" to be suitable for a playground.

The council also said it may need the space for more temporary accommodation, that there are more than 180 playgrounds spread across the borough, and a playground could cause noise pollution.

Dr Allin-Khan wrote the council outlining her grievances with the decision, which included the contradictory nature of the reasoning behind potential noise pollution when the council was suggesting more accommodation might be added instead.

She said: "In rejecting the idea of a playground Wandsworth Council has suggested that the area could be used for modular housing, which would surely also bring about disturbances to local residents and lead to a more built up and overcrowded space at Nightingale Square Hostel.

"I fully support the drive for more affordable and temporary accommodation to combat the housing crisis in London.

"And with the size and scale of developments being built across the borough, I believe Wandsworth Council has had ample opportunities to build more affordable homes but chose not to.

"However, I do believe that in this instance installing modular housing in a space which could only fit a small playground would lead to negative consequences for residents.”

In the letter, Dr Allin-Khan calls on the council to build "genuinely affordable housing" and criticises the argument put forward that residents were there on a temporary basis and therefore not in as much need of a playground.

She added: "Whilst I understand that there is a high turnover of tenants at Nightingale Square Hostel I am also informed that there are some families that have been residing there for over two years.

"Furthermore, families and children housed in temporary accommodation still deserve access to an accessible and child friendly open area next to their accommodation."

The Tooting MP also asks the council that if installing a playground is not feasible, could the land not be transformed into a more "child friendly area" with grand a seating and a few playground facilities.

A spokesperson for Wandsworth Council said: "We gave this request very careful consideration but concluded that this site was just too small and too close to other residential buildings to be suitable for a playground.

"We may also need the land to provide additional temporary accommodation for other homeless families in the future so sadly this proposal could not proceed.

"In Wandsworth we are fortunate to have more than 180 playgrounds and play areas spread out across the borough so families in Nightingale Square have some excellent alternatives to use, as well as the playgrounds and wide open spaces of Clapham and Wandsworth Commons which are both just a short walk away."