Delancey’s controversial scheme for Elephant and Castle shopping centre, SE1, will tomorrow be recommended for approval for a second time by Southwark Council planning officers, despite opposition.
The project, comprising nearly 1,000 homes, a new shopping centre and university campus, was refused a fortnight ago at a heated planning meeting lasting eight hours and ending at around 2am. A motion to approve the scheme was lost by four votes to three.
A subsequent motion to refuse was interrupted by planning officers, with councillors leaving the room to receive advice in private. Following a 40-minute adjournment a decision on the project was deferred.
Planning committee member Adele Morris said: “This is the first scheme I can remember in a number of years in which the planning committee went against the officers’ recommendation.”
Ledbury Action Group, which opposes the scheme, posted on Twitter: “Rejection of a planning application is so rare at Southwark that the committee has to adjourn to take legal advice on how to do it.”
Morris said: “The reason for deferral was it was 1am and we needed to be alert to write up the reasons correctly, as they will be used in any appeal.”
However, tomorrow’s planning committee agenda shows officers will again recommend approval, saying: “Members must consider whether the reasons outlined below would be sufficient to outweigh the benefits which would arise from the proposed development, and whether they could be adequately defended in the event that the applicant were to appeal against a refusal of planning permission.
“Officers do not consider that these reasons, either individually or cumulatively, would be sufficiently harmful to outweigh the wider benefits of the proposal.”
It was 1am and we needed to be alert to write up the reasons correctly, as they will be used in any appeal
Planning officers say that all 10 reasons for refusal outlined by councillors could be overturned on appeal, with the council bearing the brunt of the costs.
In a statement, Delancey said: “We recognise that a number of concerns have been raised regarding the planning application for the regeneration of Elephant and Castle town centre.
“Following Southwark council’s planning committee meeting on 16 January, a constructive series of meetings were held last week between representatives of Delancey and UAL, and Southwark councillors.
“Listening to further feedback from theses productive preliminary meetings and having read the draft reasons for refusal and the planning officers commentary recently published on Friday evening, Delancey and London college of Communication, UA: believe that there are positive resolutions to address the issues and concerns raised by the councillors and some of the key local community stakeholders.
“In light of the above, we have suggested all parties agree that the final consideration of the planning application be deferred until early March to give every opportunity for the key concerns to be address and for these discussions to reach a mutually acceptable positive conclusion for all.”
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