Khan overturns planning decisions

At a Greater London Authority (GLA) hearing today, the mayor ruled that developments at Palmerston Road, in Harrow, and Hale Wharf, in Haringey, should go ahead.

The respective borough councils had previously rejected the applications, which will provide a combined total of around 700 homes, before the mayor called in the proposals for review in January.

“Having carefully considered all the evidence available to me, I am confident both these high-density developments will deliver hundreds of the much-needed, genuinely affordable homes Londoners need in areas of the capital ripe for further development,” said Mr Khan.

“Both schemes are close to transport links and this is one of the key factors in determining where major housing developments should be built. Building the homes Londoners urgently need will mean town centres and suburbs becoming denser, so we expect developers to continue to come up with high-quality designs which don’t have a negative impact on their surroundings.”

Muse Developments’ proposed 505-home development at Hale Wharf in Tottenham, which includes plans for a 21-storey tower, was considered too high and too close to the green belt by Haringey Council.

The scheme has been approved by Mr Khan following revisions to the original application, which included just 9% affordable housing.

It now promises 35% affordable housing, in line with the minimum threshold for private new build developments set by the mayor.

Harrow Council claimed the Palmerston Road application in Wealdstone, where Origin Housing hopes to build 186 homes in a 17-story development – with 41% affordable, as was originally proposed – was too high for its surroundings.

Speaking during the hearing, councillor Stephen Greek said the development’s two towers would “stick out like a sore thumb”.

Conservative London Assembly member Tony Devenish called the decision a “slap in the face for local democracy” and said the applications failed Mr Khan’s 50% affordable new housing ambitions.