The owner of a Grade II listed Camden nightclub has won a ruling quashing the planning permission for redevelopment of an adjoining pub.
Stewart J quashed the planning permission granted by the London Borough of Camden in January in respect of the Hope and Anchor Public House at, 74 Crowndale Road, NW1, authorising change of use to either retail or estate agent’s offices, as well of eight flats, an enlarged basement and a three storey side extension, replacing the existing single storey extension.
Obar Camden, which operates a nightclub, live music and performance space trading as KOKO at 1A Camden High Street, which abuts and shares a party wall with the pub,
The judge said that Obar Camden’s four-storey property is a “landmark Grade II listed building of national importance and special interest”, and that it argued that the officer’s report, on which the decision was based, failed to assess the heritage impact of the proposed development on its premises and other local assets.
Upholding the claim, he said: “Nowhere in the officer’s report is there an assessment of the significance of the heritage assets.”
He added that the report “significantly misled” the committee about material matters relating to noise impact.
Quashing the decision, he said: “In any event the defendant submits that the court should exercise its discretion not to grant relief on the basis that it is highly likely that the outcome for the applicant would not have been substantially different if the conduct complained of had not occurred. It is not possible to say that this is the case and I grant the relief sought.”
Obar Camden Ltd v London Borough of Camden Planning Court (Stewart J) 8 September 2015
Tom Cosgrove (instructed by Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP) for the claimant
Giles Atkinson (instructed by Solicitor for the London Borough of Camden) for the defendant
