Boris Johnson's decision to allow a controversial application for 97 homes in Putney has "flabbergasted" one councillor after Wandsworth Council refused it in July. 

The Mayor of London called in the application, for 97 homes where Barclays bank, Halfords, TK Maxx and Eddie Catz now stand. 

It had been refused by the council's planning committee on the grounds that the seven storeys were considered too high.

The planning committee also noted the scale of the buildings would worsen the air quality and that the design was not in keeping with the rest of the High Street. 

Mr Johnson reviewed the decision on Tuesday, October 27 and decided to grant planning permission. 

September 9: "Back off Boris" Mayor of London asked to stop interfering

July 25: Putney plans rejected by Wandsworth Council

Defending his decision on Twitter, Mr Johnson said the Mayor's role was "to fight for Londoners who need homes" and called the plans a "good scheme". 

Labour councillor, and member of Wandsworth’s Planning Applications Committee, Jeremy Ambache said: "I am flabbergasted that the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, thinks that he knows better than the Planning Applications Committee about local Wandsworth decisions.

"This decision was supported unanimously by all the members of the Planning Applications Committee. The reasons for this were because the development was considered too large, poorly designed and it would not fit in with the other buildings along Putney High Street.

"Mayor Johnson has not kept his pledge to the electorate that he would desist from overruling local council's decisions about their own local areas.

"Also, I am disappointed that the Wandsworth Tory Council has not legally challenged Mr Johnson as he has used very doubtful grounds for interfering in this local planning matter."

The full scheme plans to knock down the current buildings at 56-70 High Street, and replace them with a six-storey building, with a partial seventh storey on Felsham Road. 

It would be mixed use, with 97 homes, 26 basement parking spaces, and 3,137sqm of commercial floorspace. 

A council spokesman said: “We are hugely disappointed with this outcome, especially as the Mayor confirmed that Wandsworth is playing a full and pivotal role in providing the new homes London needs, so we are at a loss to understand why he felt the need to intervene here.

"We argued very strongly that he should have left this decision in the hands of locally elected people who are in a better position to know what local communities need most.

“Having been refused by the council the developer would normally have had to return with new proposals to address our concerns,  but sadly the Mayor’s actions mean this will not happen and we will now see a less suitable and far less neighbourly development in Putney High Street.”

Speaking in July, Keith Hawkins from Better Putney, said he hoped developers British Land would consider how to work with the community. 

Former Wandsworth Council leader Sir Edward Lister, is currently the Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning.