A gargantuan skyscraper rivalling the BT Tower in height could dwarf homes near East Croydon station, a councillor has warned.

The 53-storey Menta tower, which would help create almost 500 high-rise homes in the centre of town, will be taller than the NLA Tower and Nestle building combined if planning councillors give it the green light in July.

Developer Menta describes the building as an elegant landmark housing a “vertical community”, and hopes to build a neighbouring 165-bed 4-star hotel and 6,600 sq m of high class office accommodation at the site in Cherry Orchard Road.

The futuristic design is the company’s second attempt to launch a major development at the site following a massive backlash from residents over the height of a similar scheme in 2009.

Menta withdrew the plans before they came before planning councillors, and have spent the past two years working with the council and residents to create a more palatable plan.

But Addiscombe councillor Sean Fitzsimons said he believed the new application was still too enormous to win over the public.

He said: “This is a better application, but I just don’t think people want a tower that size.

“I’m as geeky as the next person, and when I go up to London I always look at the Shard and all sorts.

“But there’s a difference to the visual impact of that impressing someone coming in on a train, and having to live 50 feet away from it in a Victorian house with people looking into your back gardens 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Cara Bamford from architect Make said: “From the outset we wanted to match Croydon’s ambitions for itself and create an elegant landmark building that offers a lifestyle as totally removed from outdated concepts of ‘high rise’ living as possible.

“Our building will host a genuine ‘vertical community’, with shared amenity spaces at all levels including roof gardens, games room, craft room and business centre, and rooms available for private hire for family celebrations and other events.”

More information is available at cherryorchard-croydon.co.uk.