CONTROVERSIAL plans for the former Chelsea Barracks site have been scrapped.

Site owner Qatari Diar withdrew its application for a massive housing development on the site, just one week before it was due to go before planning bosses.

The design had been due to include 548 flats, two restaurants, a hotel and a sports centre on the site - bordered by Chelsea Bridge Road, Pimlico Road and Ebury Bridge Road.

Residents including Chelsea Barracks Action Group (CBAG), fronted by Georgine Thorburn, had campaigned against the proposals, which they believed were out of scale with the area.

Westminster Council had received more than 450 objections.

A spokesman for Qatari Diar said: "After extensive and ongoing consultations with the stakeholders, Qatari Diar has withdrawn its application for the site.

"Our shareholders' vision for this site is to deliver for London a best in class, sustainable residential development that includes community facilities and brings real benefits to this part of London.

"We'll continue our extensive consultation process with all our stakeholders, where our focus will be on building a consensus for one of the most important sites in London."

"We recognise the complexity of the planning process and we are pleased to have had the support of the planners and many consultees including the GLA, CABE, The Royal Hospital and some of our neighbours.

"We acknowledge however that there are differing views from various other quarters; we are very grateful to Westminster for the time and effort spent on the process to date and look forward to working very closely with them in the coming months.

"As part of the process to find the right solution we are already in discussion with The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment."

A new masterplan is to be drawn up and is due to be submitted to Westminster Council by the end of the year.

Chairwoman of CBAG, Georgine Thorburn, welcomed the news.

She said: "We are delighted that all our blood, sweat and tears have finally paid off and achieved a result that we have fought so hard for.

"I'd like to thank all our supporters for their unstinting work especially the Chelsea Barracks Action Group’s leadership team Sara Gordon, George Waite and Simon Davies. We would also like to applaud Prince Charles for supporting our fight against the design of Lord Rogers’s steel and glass tower blocks.

"It's been a 24/7 job for the past 10 months but we were not prepared to roll over and be content with a design that would have affected 60 per cent of some residents' natural light, caused huge traffic problems, destroyed the historic Garrison Church and worst of all given us a glass and steel eyesore on our doorstep."