Edinburgh-based housebuilder Cala Homes is seeking a judicial review of the government’s decision to abolish regional planning strategies.
Yesterday, Cala filed an application with the High Court seeking permission for the challenge to the decision by the Communities Secretary Eric Pickles last month to revoke the strategies immediately.
At the centre of Cala’s proposed challenge are its controversial proposals to build 2,000 homes with shops and a primary school on an 84ha site at Barton Farm,
In 2007, the High Court turned down a judicial review challenge of the then secretary of state’s refusal of planning permission for a similar development on the site
In June 2010, Winchester council turned down the present application for the site and the matter was to have gone to appeal.
However, Cala alleges that, owing to the scrapping of the strategies, no appeal can take place because there is an absence of planning policy.
Graham Cunningham, managing director of Cala Homes (South) said “The Government has acted unlawfully in not putting any transitional arrangements in place. There is a policy vacuum. We urgently need to build new homes, especially in the South East of England, but housebuilders have been left with no direction.”
christian.metcalfe@estatesgazette.com
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