Brick Lane venue the Old Truman Brewery, E1 has been given the green light to redevelop the site after defeating a High Court challenge from architectural conservation charity the Spitalfields Historic Building Trust.
The Old Truman Brewery applied for planning permission in May 2020 to redevelop land on the corner of Brick Land and Woodseer Street by building a five-floor office building with ground floor shops and a gym.
The application was met with strong local opposition. There were more than 7,000 individual objections, including one from the trust, a charity set up by architectural historian, writer and TV presenter Dan Cruickshank.
According to a ruling handed down today (31 August) by trial judge Mr Justice Morris, the main objections were over the introduction of large companies to the area, the effect on local businesses, gentrification and concerns that the development would obscure the view of the old brewery’s chimney. Objectors also argued that the development would drive up rents in the area.
The application went to Tower Hamlets Council’s planning committee in September 2021 and, despite the objections, the committee granted planning permission the following month. In December the trust started legal action in an attempt to overturn the decision.
Specifically, the trust argued that there had been procedural breaches at the September meeting and due regard had not been paid to the Draft Spitalfields Neighbourhood Plan. One of the trust’s criticisms was that members of the public were not able to make representations at the meeting.
The case went to trial at the High Court in London in June. In today’s ruling, Mr Justice Morris rejected the trust’s arguments.
He said that the council’s decision not to allow public speaking at the meeting was not “unreasonable or otherwise unlawful”.
He said that the trust had been able to make written and oral objections earlier in the planning process.
He also said that the council did have regard for the neighbourhood plan.
“The claimant’s claim for judicial review is dismissed,” he said.
The Spitalfields Historic Building Trust v London Borough of Tower Hamlets and Old Truman Brewery Ltd (interested party)
Planning Court (Mr Justice Morris) 31 August 2022
