Plans to bulldoze a church hall and replace it with almost 200 new homes will "blight" a nearby park, a London MP has warned.

Gareth Thomas, who represents Harrow West, said plans by the Plymouth Brethren to redevelop the old Gospel Hall in The Ridgeway would be a "detriment" to the area. 

The Labour MP said he has consistently opposed any new house building on the land, which he said is protected by a Harrow Council covenant. 

Mr Thomas said: "I think it’s an overdevelopment and it will have a huge impact on the local area, damage the local environment and cause huge amounts of extra traffic and parking problems.

"The covenant on the land was agreed with the council in order to keep it safeguarded for the purpose of community facilities, not for a big overdevelopment that will blight West Harrow park and allotment users."

He added he has confidence Harrow Council will uphold the covenant, even if the Brethren spend "millions on its appeal". 

There are plans to build 178 flats – 34 of which have been put forward as affordable – across nine blocks up to seven storeys high. 

The scheme was rejected by the council in July last year, with councillors criticising its height and density and suggesting it would result in "a fundamental change to the character of the area". 

The Brethren have since submitted an appeal to the planning inspectorate in the hope of getting this decision overturned.

Local councillors had previously criticised the landowners’ decision to cut down a number of mature trees near the hall, describing it as "an utterly cynical destruction". 

At a Harrow Council planning meeting earlier in March, councillors voted to uphold a tree protection order at the site. 

Mr Thomas has urged concerned residents to voice their opinions to the inspectorate, with the deadline for objections set at April 11. 

He added: "We need to get as much evidence into the planning inspectorate against this development, if we are to succeed in maintaining the veto against their proposal on the site."

Daniel Watney LLP, the agent acting on behalf of the Brethren, has been contacted for comment.