A £2bn loan scheme in north London can go ahead after a High Court judge overruled objections from Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.
The mixed-use redevelopment project, called High Road West, is close to the club’s stadium. It is about the construction of a new neighborhood that will include six tall buildings and a new public park.
Haringey Council appointed Lendlease as a development partner in 2017. The scheme was granted planning permission in August last year, after a delay caused by objections from Tottenham Hotspur and Arup over the quality of plans The club had previously drawn up their own rival plans for the venue.
The club subsequently issued a legal challenge to Haringey over the permission, claiming the council had failed to consider the heritage impact on the North Tottenham Conservation Area and listed buildings, and over crowd control issues .
Dismissing the claim, Judge Pushpinder Saini said part of the club’s case was based on a “mischaracterization of the equity analysis” carried out by the council.
He added that any potential harm would be offset by the plan’s benefits. “The evaluation of the planning of public benefits is clear. There is a clear development plan … and the regenerative impacts of the scheme are of overwhelming importance on the planning balance sheet,” he said.
Tottenham Hotspur also claimed the planning permission meant Lendlease could charge the club an unlimited fee to allow stadium-goers access to White Hart Lane railway station through or around their construction sites
The judge also rejected this argument, stating that Haringey Council had stipulated that the club would be consulted on crowd control measures alongside the police and other security forces, and that Lendlease must provide “viable” access to the crowds
Haringey council, the judge noted, had said the parties must work together on the details and that such rights must be granted “on reasonable terms”.
The judge stated that the planning permission had ensured an “adequate mechanism to ensure that stadium operations were sustainable where all parties worked together and acted reasonably while consulting key stakeholders”. This was clearly a legitimate approach to take.”
In a statement following the ruling, Haringey Council’s director of location and housing, David Joyce, said: “The decision is an endorsement that the council’s planning authority acted lawfully in granting planning permission for the plan
“This is the biggest regeneration program in Haringey’s history, delivering 500 high-quality council homes as well as significant investment in new open spaces, community facilities and local jobs and training opportunities.”
Joyce said the council will “continue to listen to the views of residents and local stakeholders” as it shapes the final designs for the project.
A spokesperson for Lendlease said: “The transformation of High Road West will deliver much-needed new homes, jobs and community facilities. We look forward to working with local residents, business owners and Haringey Council as part of their commitment to deliver this vision.”
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club did not respond to a request for comment.
