Planning loophole leaves historic ground up for development (From Times Series)

Planning loophole leaves historic ground up for development

7:30am Thursday 5th November 2009 in

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A PLANNING loophole means developers may still be able to build flats on Hendon FC's former ground.

Campaigners believed permission for the project on the Claremont Road site ran out on October 18, five years after Barnet Council gave outline planning permission to build there.

However, council planners say the wording of the original decision means the permission is still active as there is an unheard detailed application lying on file from October 2007.

Now Gordon Kerr, who has coordinated a campaign with local residents against the development, has called on the council to show they have treated the application as they would any other.

He said: “It feels as if the sword of Damocles is still hanging over us. By deliberately wording the document they have allowed the developers to keep this alive.

“It seems strange the council has allowed this matter to lie on file for this long, especially as they have a financial stake in the outcome of it.

“We want to know why this second application has not been decided and why the process has been allowed to drag on for so long.”

Barnet Council owns the freehold to the land and stands to make money from any future development, but in a statement said the delay was because the developers had failed to provide certain documents.

The statement added: “The council treats all planning applications equally. In regards to this particular application, it is still under consideration and the council has made repeated requests to the applicants to provide the information needed to progress the application.

“The significant downturn in the property market over the past 18 months has also, of course, interrupted the developer’s progress.

“The council recognises the strategic importance of this site and the strong public interest in its future, which is why planning officers need all the information requested before a decision can be made.”

The site also sits close to the proposed development area for Brent Cross and Jonathan Joseph, who represents the developers there, said they had not pursued an active interest in the site.

He added: “It's never really been on the cards for us to acquire the site as the owners have development plans. Were that to change we would be very interested in talking to them.”