Planning officers are recommending proposals to divide a two-storey building in a prime residential street in the London borough into 26 studio flats housing 26 vulnerable adults and 7 children.

Each flat will contain a bedroom/living area, kitchen and bathroom.

Individual flats for single residents are as small as 154 sq ft and those designed for an adult and child measure as little as 217 sq ft.

The plans for 75 Ashburnham Grove have provoked a storm of local opposition and raised a number of questions over how the council has handled the sale and redevelopment of the site.

It was formerly a council-run hostel for 11 people with learning difficulties and was a valued part of the local community.

Greenwich Council sold the site to property developer Grosvenor Hill Social Impact Group who refurbished the building into 26 flats without planning permission.

The developer is now seeking retrospective planning consent for the work at a council meeting next week.

A planning technicality means the flats are not subject to the national minimum size standards of 398ft.

One local resident said: “I don’t understand how a developer can make such massive changes to a building and not get planning permission from the outset.

“These studio flats are tiny and massively increase the density of the building which also has no internal communal space.

“You are basically putting people in cells which will have a detrimental effect on them and those around them.”

A Greenwich Council spokesperson said: “The planning application will be subject to consideration at the Greenwich Area Planning Committee.

“However, we are not able to comment on live applications beforehand. The planning enforcement team are aware that works have taken place before the granting of planning permission and will continue to monitor the situation.”