For anyone keeping count that’s *3 years* after initial plans were drawn up and submitted; time entirely wasted enriching lawyers all because Gove disliked the conclusion the council, mayor and his own planning inspector reached.
And it’s still not over because Gove could spaff more public money appealing against this ruling.
Good. Overturning multiple levels of expert and council approval entirely on arbitrary grounds set a terrible precedent for the planning process.
So yet another one of London’s listed buildings is being demolished to be replaced by modern cardboard cutout #49292 and we’re celebrating?
I know the building has problems with asbestos, but you don’t need to knock everything down and start again to sort that out. This is sad.
Excellent.
This case was just about the lawfulness (or otherwise). of Gove’s decision, not whether it was the correct one or not, but I think some of the judge’s comments made during the hearing speak volumes as to how batshit
his whole decision was:
– ‘[The decision] seems in defiance of intelligible reasoning’
-‘I agree it’s an astonishingly surprising conclusion to reach’
-‘It’s a terrible decision letter’
Also worth noting when the government’s team was asked what Gove thought might occupy the site if no development occurred, as he suggested was possible in his letter, they offered ‘perhaps an American candy store or luggage shop’.
The fact things have been dragged out this far, in defiance of the wishes or Westminster council and the GLA is perverse. Hopefully now London can stop being kicked about as a political football to appease NIMBYs in the home counties that the Tories are so desperate to cling to.
5 comments
Great!
For anyone keeping count that’s *3 years* after initial plans were drawn up and submitted; time entirely wasted enriching lawyers all because Gove disliked the conclusion the council, mayor and his own planning inspector reached.
And it’s still not over because Gove could spaff more public money appealing against this ruling.
Good. Overturning multiple levels of expert and council approval entirely on arbitrary grounds set a terrible precedent for the planning process.
So yet another one of London’s listed buildings is being demolished to be replaced by modern cardboard cutout #49292 and we’re celebrating?
I know the building has problems with asbestos, but you don’t need to knock everything down and start again to sort that out. This is sad.
Excellent.
This case was just about the lawfulness (or otherwise). of Gove’s decision, not whether it was the correct one or not, but I think some of the judge’s comments made during the hearing speak volumes as to how batshit
his whole decision was:
– ‘[The decision] seems in defiance of intelligible reasoning’
-‘I agree it’s an astonishingly surprising conclusion to reach’
-‘It’s a terrible decision letter’
Also worth noting when the government’s team was asked what Gove thought might occupy the site if no development occurred, as he suggested was possible in his letter, they offered ‘perhaps an American candy store or luggage shop’.
The fact things have been dragged out this far, in defiance of the wishes or Westminster council and the GLA is perverse. Hopefully now London can stop being kicked about as a political football to appease NIMBYs in the home counties that the Tories are so desperate to cling to.
Fuck NIMBYs, fuck Gove.