WCC Denied Permission for Judicial Review

Yesterday the long fight to save Wards Corner suffered a setback. The WCC’s application for a Judicial Review of Grainger’s latest plan was refused by the High Court of Appeal for the final time. It’s been a long process and the hearing today was the third time our case was presented to a judge. Sadly none of the judges properly engaged with the arguments brought by our legal team. We were challenging Haringey’s decision to grant permission to the Grainger development on the following 3 grounds:

1. That when justifying their decision to grant permission for the development for which they had previously refused permission, Haringey unlawfully ignored their own policy documents and instead used an independent report commissioned by Grainger.
2. That Haringey failed to fulfil their duty to assess the need for and carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment of Grainger’s proposals.
3. That Councillors were misled about the likelihood of the reinstating of the indoor market in the Grainger development.

Although this is the end of this attempt to bring a Judicial Review it is by no means the end of the campaign.

The Community Plan for the Wards Corner Department Store is days away from submission and details an heritage sensitive restoration of the building, one that provides space for all the businesses already on the site and creates 1000’s more feet of retail and community space. It also sets out the beginnings of a community-led model for the running and management of the site and provides a basis for our continued calls to the Council and Grainger to collaborate with local people on a solution that meets everyone’s needs.

We are also still working to stop the Grainger scheme. Next Grainger will try to forcefully purchase the remainder of the site using Compulsory Purchase legislation.

The people at Wards Corner still need your support to save the site, to defend their homes and businesses from demolition and to build a community-led future for Wards Corner. There are many ways to support the campaign:

• Come to one of our weekly Monday meetings, 6:30pm at Pueblita Paisa Café, Seven Sisters Market (above Seven Sisters Tube)
• Write to your local Councillor, to David Lammy and to Alan Strickland (Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Social Inclusion) about Wards Corner
• Donate to the campaign, find out how here www.wardscornercommunity.org.uk/donate
• Follows us on Twitter @Wards_Corner, find us on Facebook and help spread the word