A judge has announced that he will dismiss a challenge to permission for a planned £1bn redevelopment of a Croydon shopping centre and surrounding sites by Westfield and Hammerson, which had been branded as “unviable” by current leaseholders opposing the scheme at the High Court.
At the end of the hearing Collins J announced that he would dismiss the claim brought by four leaseholders in the existing Whitgift Centre, who face the threat of compulsory acquisition of their land. He will give his reasons in writing at a later date.
The leaseholders had hoped to persuade the judge to quash the grant of planning permission and listed buildings consent for the major redevelopment, granted to Westfield Europe and Hammerson UK Properties in February.
They had claimed that the proposal was “simply unviable”, but lawyers for the Westfield parties argued that the significant and comprehensive redevelopment is expected to secure much needed regeneration of Croydon, with £1bn of investment expected to generate in the region of 5,000 jobs.
The Queen on the application of Equiom (Isle of Man) Ltd and ors v London Borough of Croydon Planning Court (Collins J) 8 October 2014
Russell Harris QC and Matthew Reed (instructed by CMS Cameron McKenna) for the claimants
David Elvin QC and Richard Turney (instructed by Pinsent Masons) for the defendant
Nathalie Lieven QC (instructed by Herbert Smith Freehills) for the interested parties
