The secretary of state has refused Sainsbury’s planning appeal for a residential scheme in Whitechapel, E1.
The MHCLG overruled inspector recommendations, concluding that the 471-home development would be harmful to the heritage of the area and would cause loss of daylight.
It follows a five-year battle to redevelop the supermarket and car park site at 1 Cambridge Heath Road.
Sainsbury’s submitted a scoping report to create 620 flats in 2014. An application for 559 flats was refused by Tower Hamlets planning committee in 2016. It reduced the density and lodged an appeal in 2018.
The supermarket giant hopes to cash in on the rise in residential values in the region with the arrival of the new Crossrail station.
It has six weeks to challenge the secretary of state decision and bring the application to the high court.
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