Barnet Council’s strategic planning committee has resolved to oppose a huge development planned for Cricklewood when it comes before a public inquiry.

The committee’s decision directs the council to argue that developer Montreaux’s plans to build tower blocks up to 18 storeys high at the former B&Q site in Broadway Retail Park, Cricklewood Lane, should be rejected on the basis of height and massing.

Montreaux won permission for the 1,049-home scheme in September last year, despite more than 2,000 residents writing to the council calling for it to be refused.

But in April this year, housing secretary Michael Gove revealed he was considering a ‘call-in’ of the application, which would see him take over the decision-making process. At the end of August, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) told the council the call-in would go ahead, and a public inquiry into the plans has been scheduled for February next year.

A report presented to a meeting of the strategic planning committee last week recommended that members should “authorise officers to represent the council at the public inquiry on the basis of the original resolution and to present evidence to the inquiry in support of the application”. But instead the committee rejected the recommendations and resolved to oppose the plans.

Speaking after the meeting Anne Clarke, a Labour councillor for Cricklewood, said: “I am delighted that the committee has listened to local residents and now agreed to oppose this monstrous mega-high development at the public inquiry. This is a great site for residential development but what has been proposed is clearly unacceptable.”

The original decision to approve the scheme in September 2021 followed a dispute between the Labour and Conservative members of the committee. All but one of the Conservatives voted in favour of the development after then-ward councillor Peter Zinkin told the planning committee that London mayor Sadiq Khan could overturn a decision to refuse permission and add more homes to the scheme.

Labour councillors criticised his comments and argued the plans should be judged on their own merits. Labour and the Liberal Democrat committee members originally voted to oppose the scheme.

Barnet Conservative group and Montreaux have been approached for comment.