A controversial second entrance to Southwark Tube station has been given the green light amid concerns the new Greet Street entry will disrupt the quiet, residential area.

Lambeth Council’s planning committee approved the TfL development for the second entrance to the Tube by four votes to three.

It will also see Greet Street's pavement widened to accommodate more people, and five cycle stands.

A 2009 application for the scheme was withdrawn after officers made it clear its design would harm the local amenities.

But council officers said the new proposal’s design, which will see an open staircase directly into the railway viaduct, would not be unduly harmful to the residential amenity of neighbouring occupiers when conditions about noise and lighting were applied.

Officers also found the new station would benefit local cultural activities and businesses and provide faster access to the area.

The site is in the Waterloo Opportunity Area, where at least 2,500 new homes and 15,000 new jobs are expected over the next decade – which could add pressure on transport links.

But among those speaking against the development was Vauxhall MP Kate Hoey, who said Southwark Tube station was not overly congested.

She said: “What really worries me is, why this is happening?

“TfL are having a difficult time financially at the moment. Why do you need to do this now?

“When you compare it with tube stations all over London, how it can be seen as being hugely congested? This is just not necessary.”

Lambeth local Assembly Member, Florence Eshalomi, also objected to the scheme and said it would change Greet Street “dramatically” with increased traffic and pedestrian footfall.

She also criticised TfL's communication with Greet Street residents and raised concerns for anti social behaviour.

“Communication with residents is one of my main concerns for this application. When visiting the site with TfL officers I asked what response they had had from residents and they informed me they had been engaged in an ongoing conversation with residents about the proposed entrance and that the majority were very supportive. This now appears to be evidently untrue. It is my understanding that the residents of Greet Street and, again, Tait House are not at all supportive of the planning application,” she said.

The entrance will be open from from 05.30am to 1am from Sunday to Thursday, and from 05.30am to 12.30am on Fridays and Saturdays, with conditions to limit lighting and noise from the station.