RESIDENTS were furious last night after plans for a giant 27-storey tower without a public riverside walkway have been given the green light.

Planning chiefs at Southampton City Council approved of plans to set the next phase of the £500million Centenary Quay development in Woolston in motion.

But residents have been left “disgusted and disappointed” after chiefs approved of plans to make a riverside walkway private – blocking off part of a path which originally ran roughly 200 metres across the waterfront.

More than 100 people objected to plans proposed by developers Crest Nicholson to block off 60 metres of the waterfront path surrounding a tower block of 157 flats after deciding to change the ground floor commercial units into four residential units.

While planning permission has already been granted for the development, which will create 1,000 jobs, planning chiefs were considering a bid for specific details of the next phase which included an extension to the basement car park and children’s play area for the former Vosper Thornycroft site.

The plans to block off a section of the walkway received the biggest backlash from residents and councillors with a selection of community members attending the meeting to object the plan.

Now objectors have revealed concerns that as Crest Nicholson has been granted permission for this change to its initial planning proposal it will set a precedent for future changes.

Former councillor Carol Cunio said: “I’m very disappointed and ashamed, I feel Crest Nicholson are manipulating the situation and we have been let down.”

Lindsi Bluemel, secretary of the Southampton Cycling Campaign and Woolston resident, added: “It’s more the precedent that this will set which concerns me but I am very upset and angry with the result.”

Council deputy leader and Woolston councillor Warwick Payne also objected to the plans to create a private walkway, alongside Cllr Chris Hammond.

Cllr Hammond said: “People will be shocked to hear about this, they will be disappointed and they will be angry and I think it is justifiably so. I think it’s a disappointing result and it’s a decision which means that only a select few people will enjoy the best view from the waterfront while thousands of other residents and visitors are cut off, it’s a very sad result.”

A spokesman for the developer said the change was being made due to a number of factors, “including but not limited to the restricted footprint of the building, creation of refuse storage areas and the impact on existing and local residents the decision was taken to update the plans and focus on residential units.”