A WEEK after the original planning meeting was postponed, campaigners finally saw the decision they were dreading unfold before their eyes.

Council planning committee members took just under three hours to approve highly-controversial plans to build new apartment blocks on Hammersmith Embankment.

Hundreds of people forced the postponement of the original meeting last week as the council failed to have the correct audio equipment in place.

They moved the meeting into the main hall on Friday (23/9) so that more than 100 residents could watch as the development, known as Fulham Reach, was given the green light.

In the shadow of the historic and Grade II* listed Hammersmith Bridge it will bring 2,708 people into the borough.

They will live in eight blocks up to nine storeys high and alongside 3,283 sqm or retail and office space, restaurants, boat club and pontoon.

Developer St George has agreed to pay £13m to Hammersmith and Fulham Council in a Section 106 agreement which means the cash must be pumped back into improving the neighbouring community.

But opposition Labour leader councillor Stephen Cowan accused the council of selling planning approval to the company and abandoning their affordable housing rules.

Those rules state that between 45 and 50 per cent of new housing must be affordable. The number for the Fulham Reach scheme is only 25 per cent.

As Mr Cowan demanded answers from his Tory counterparts, the meeting had to be suspended as his anger spilled over.

He said: “I have been told by people within St George's that the council were told they could either have their £13m or have their affordable housing. There are many people here today who deserve answers.”

It is an accusation denied by the council and cabinet member for housing Andrew Johnson who said: “I have had no meeting about Section 106 with St George. I have stuck to the code of conduct in every aspect of this planning application.”

But that has done little to appease the Save our Riverside group formed to fight the proposals.

Made up of neighbours and members of a host of community bodies such as Hammersmith Embankment Residents' Association, Hammersmith Mall Residents' Association, Digby Mansions Residents' Association and the Hammersmith Society, they are vowing to fight on.

They insist that Fulham Reach will ruin Hammersmith Bridge, cause traffic chaos and damage the Conservation Area.

A statement said: “Though the majority of the committee approved the proposal there were also some very alarming questions raised by its opposition members about the conduct of the application process.

“We hope they pursue these with equal vigour in the coming weeks and it certainly reaffirms our opposition to this scheme and our determination to fight on.”