Judge upholds Boris Johnson鈥檚 controversial call-in
Boris Johnson鈥檚 decision to approve AHMM鈥檚 masterplan to redevelop a chunk of historic Spitalfields has been backed in the High Court.
Mr Justice Gilbart upheld the former London mayor鈥檚 decision to call in plans drawn up by the Stirling Prize-winning practice for British Land in the Norton Folgate neighbourhood on the edge of the City of London.
In January, Johnson granted planning permission and listed building consent for the scheme, known as Blossom Street, which will see a number of buildings in the historic Liberty of Norton Folgate demolished.
Other architects working on the scheme include DSDHA, Duggan Morris, Stanton Williams and East who are all working on individual buildings.
Spitalfields Historic 黑洞社区s Trust submitted a legal challenge to Johnson鈥檚 call-in decision. The heritage body argued that the mayor鈥檚 move had been 鈥減redetermined鈥� because his office had told British Land鈥檚 consultants that he would call it in just a day after local planning authority Tower Hamlets rejected it.
The 32,000sq m scheme consists of seven buildings, comprising mainly office space along with 13 shops and 40 apartments.
However Mr Justice Gilbart dismissed the trust鈥檚 application and refused the trust permission to appeal.
A British Land spokesman said: 鈥淏ritish Land welcomes this decision, which will help pave the way for the long overdue rejuvenation of the Blossom Street area. We look forward to providing the new homes for emerging businesses which this location so badly needs.鈥�
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