Tottenham Hotspur loses legal bid to block major Haringey Council development
Tottenham Hotspur has lost a legal bid to block planning permission for a major redevelopment scheme on land around White Hart Lane stadium.
Haringey Council granted planning permission last August for the 27-acre High Road West redevelopment. The scheme is being developed for the council by Lendlease.
It is intended to provide more than 2,600 new homes, 40% of which will be affordable housing and 500 of which will be council houses.
Tottenham Hotspur has lost a legal bid to block planning permission for a major redevelopment scheme on land around White Hart Lane stadium.
Haringey Council granted planning permission last August for the 27-acre High Road West redevelopment. The scheme is being developed for the council by Lendlease.
It is intended to provide more than 2,600 new homes, 40% of which will be affordable housing and 500 of which will be council houses.
It also includes new community facilities such as a library, learning centre, park and civic square.
The council says it is part of its plan “to ensure that north Tottenham is a fairer, healthier place where all our residents can thrive”.
However, it has caused controversy as the plans include the demolition of around 300 homes on the Love Lane Estate and the compulsory purchase of some local industrial estates.
The football club also has planing permission to develop parts of the site known at the Goods Yard and the Depot.
At a hearing earlier this month, lawyers for the club told planning judge Mr Justice Saini that the council had failed to consider the heritage impacts of the High Road West development on the Goods Yard and Depot. However, the judge ruled that heritage impacts were lawfully identified, and found to be outweighed by the benefits of the scheme.
Lawyers for the club also argued the the development would affect crowd safety on match days. Specifically, they argued that planning officers had misled councillors about the requirements that would be placed on the club to control crowds if the development was approved.
However, the judge found that the councillors were made “fully aware” of the issue and properly reviewed material on crowd safety provided by the club.
The judge said the council acted lawfully.
He dismissed the claim.
Tottenham Hotspur Ltd v The London Borough of Haringey and Lendlease (High Road West) Ltd (interested party)
Planning Court (Saini J) 10 October 2023
Image © Elli Birch/IPS/Shutterstock
