Dear supporters,
What a turn of events, the developer U+I has decided to take the Secretary of State to court!
It seems that in pursuit of their greedy development, and despite being turned down by a public inquiry and the government, they will not stop.
Greed it seems has no limits and deep pockets. On 4th August 2021 U+I submitted a claim for proceedings under s288 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 against the Secretary of State’s decision to REFUSE planning permission at 8 Albert Embankment.
So U+I and the London Fire Brigade are continuing to pursue their 'departure' from planning policy application - 3 towers over 30m and 2 skyscrapers at nearly 90m, putting 400+ local residents below national BRE daylight standards and causing great damage to local, national and even world heritage.
We will let you know what happens in court, but if you want to know more about this type of legal action please see below:
Is this a Judicial Review?
No, it is not a JR (Judicial Review). It is a statutory challenge under section 288 of the 1990 Planning Act to the High Court, arguing that certain legal aspects of the cases have not been properly considered and/or decided by the Secretary of State.
Will the court look at the planning merits of the decisions?
No. The court can only look at the strict legal aspects of the cases. For example, did the Secretary of State legally carry out the process correctly when he assessed the planning balance on heritage matters? The Judge will not be able to consider the planning merits.
How successful are challenges?
In 2017, for example, there were 192 challenges, only 14 of which succeeded and 24 failed (38 in total). The remaining cases (154) never even made it to a full hearing as the court decided at the initial review stage that they were of no merit and should not even be considered.
What will happen if U+I succeeds?
The Judge can only remit (send back) the decision to the Secretary of State to decide it again. The Secretary of State will then have to correct any legal concerns.
How long will it take?
Anywhere between 6 months (if the court rules the challenge has no merit) to 18 months for a full hearing and judgement.
We had hoped in September to start working with the London Fire Brigade and other local stakeholders towards a new and better plan for these sites.
We had hoped no further public money would be spent pursuing a 'departure' from policy planning application.
We thank you all again for your continuing support.
We won't give up!
Many thanks
LAMBETH VILLAGE PEOPLE
For more information see our website here