Why 1 March needs to be a date in your diary and money, time and energy are required now

[Paul Lincoln]

1 March is looming as a very important date for Golden Lane Estate.

Richard Cloudesley site

Islington Planning Committee will be meeting at 7-30pm to hear the planning application for the Richard Cloudesley site. Some changes have been made to the plans under pressure from GLE but there is still much that remains which is a huge cause for concern. Key issues include a tower block with a single flight of stairs for fire escape; an extreme loss of light for much of Basterfield House; huge loss of amenity for Hatfield residents who will be affected by narrow access for rubbish disposal; a deeply uninspiring design which turns its back on the Grade II listed estate and an acute lack of open space for a new generation of residents.  Put the date in your diary and come along.

Bernard Morgan site

On the same day (exact time to be advised) in the High Court in the Strand, a hearing will take place for a judicial review of the plans for the Denizen on the Bernard Morgan House site.  Although the site has been cleared, the judicial review will seek to influence the plans for what is built there.  The hearing will decide if a judicial review should or should not go ahead.  There are many complex layers and implications here.  They include not only the impact on an important estate of architectural interest but also the effects of loss of light for both Bowater House and the Golden Lane Campus schools; and most importantly, a potential challenge to what is know as viability of the scheme.  This affects the level of s106 funding (planning gain benefiting a community) which a developer agrees to pay  either as cash or through the building of affordable housing in or adjacent to a scheme. If a developer can argue that the scheme to which they have committed is no longer viable, they may be able to argue to reduce their contribution.  A successful judicial challenge here could have implications for social and affordable housing across London.

There is an acute need for funding for this case, so if you can, here is the place to make a contribution. And to find out more about the case read this blog.