Plans to quintuple the number of towers on the Tolworth Tower site have been approved, heralding the first major redevelopment the area has seen for decades.

Developer CNM Estates' designs for four blocks of flats and shops in Broadway were given the green light yesterday night.

The project was the second to face the vote after the approval of a new Premier Inn in Kingston Road last October, with applications for Lidl's new headquarters and the former Toby Jug site sure to follow in the coming years.

The sale of the distinctive tower to developers CNM Estates in October 2014.

Plans were revealed showing four new residential towers plus landscaping in March 2015.​

Discussions over the level of traffic around Tolworth Tower roundabout prompted two residents to storm out.

A council meeting to discuss the plans, set for December 2014, was postponed.

How it happened: The live blog of the meeting

The decision was met with stunned silence at Guildhall. Objector Michael Hope said he was "appalled but not surprised", while Conservative Councillor Ian George, who actively campaigned with councillors Chris Hayes and Richard Hudson against the plans for 308 homes, plus serviced apartments and shops, said his Tory colleagues who waved them through "have got a lot of questions to answer".

He added: "I just think that there's been a history of Tolworth residents not being treated as equally as others in the borough. People seem to look down on Tolworth."

Kingston and Surbiton MP James Berry said this morning: "Obviously I’m disappointed, I sent my objections in. It’s obviously not my decision to make as MP but I tried to reflect concerns that had been raised with me by local residents, but that being said I fully appreciate that there are people who agree.

"I just don’t like tower blocks, I didn’t like Tolworth Tower to start with."

CNM Estates have said throughout the planning process they intend to do something "brilliant" for Tolworth, and said they were "delighted to have received planning permission".

James Robertson-Milligan, co-founder of the Broadway community group, said: "Tolworth needs a much needed boost and bringing up to date otherwise it’s just going to become a dumping ground and a barren concrete waste site.

"What CNM have seen is an area that has an economic opportunity and they are bringing that to the area."

Former MP Ed Davey tweeted after the vote: "Tories in huge betrayal of Tolworth residents on new skyscraper: Alexandra's Tory councillors fail to stop air pollution & traffic jam chaos."

But David Hucks, a 23-year-old from Tolworth, said: "Anybody who lives in Tolworth knows that the roundabout is a nightmare to navigate anyway, and bringing extra traffic in will not improve this at all.

"I agree Tolworth needed something, but not ugly tower blocks, not more people and definitely not more traffic. Business has beaten common sense."

Council leader Kevin Davis said: "Planning is an administrative decision, not an emotional one, and the reality is you can only approve or refuse based on policy.

"The developer now has a huge responsibility to build something that delivers all that they said. Now starts the regeneration of Tolworth, but they have got a huge responsibility to work with local residents to help them understand what it is they are doing and how they are going about it."

He said change was inevitable for the area but added: "There's no point building crappy buildings as the people who live here won't like it and the people who move here won't like it."

Liberal Democrat opposition leader Councillor Liz Green said: "This does not bode well for the excessive developments due to be decided in the next few months.

"I, for one, don't want to live in a Croydonesque town. We'll need to get even more residents involved if Kingston borough is to provide new homes in the way most residents want."