A much-loved community garden in Dalston will be plunged into darkness if plans for a new high-rise development get the green light, campaigners say.

An application from Capital Services to demolish a storage building in Hartwell Street and replace it with three blocks of three, seven and eight storeys will go before councillors next week.

The community is fighting the plans because of the impact on the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, which sits just behind the building, off Dalston Lane.

The developers have revised the initial plans to reduce the tallest block from nine to eight storeys, and analysis from the town hall states 77 per cent of the garden will receive at least two hours of sunlight a day, above the minimum requirement.

Officers also said by 2pm on summer days only a small area right next to the new building will be in shadow.

But in response to a consultation on the plans, 179 people objected, while just five supported the project.

Many still fear the development, which will include 36 homes – 11 for social rent and seven at “intermediate affordable” – would jeopardise the future of the curve garden, and say the “barrage” of tower blocks popping up in Dalston needs to stop.

Simon Hughes and Stephen Mendel are leading the campaign on behalf of volunteers at the garden, which opened in 2010 on the site of the old Dalston Junction station, inside a conservation area.

They said: “Plants and people need sunlight! “Dalston is recognised as an area severely deficient in green space, with one of the highest population densities in Hackney. It has one of the greatest levels of overcrowding and child poverty nationally and 75pc of families live in flats without access to their own green space.

“We urge the Thames House developers to go back to the drawing board with their architects, to design a development more suited in scale to the site.”

The development would also include almost 4,000sqm of workspace – 10pc affordable.

Non profit community group Open Dalston has also “strongly objected” the overshadowing it will bring.

A decision will be made at the town hall on Wednesday.