Continuing the discussion from Our Lady and St Philip Neri Primary School - Local meeting :
Grainne Cuffe reports for News Shopper on the recently dismissed appeal by the Archdiocese of Southwark, against enforcement by Lewisham Council for planning breaches:
Lewisham Council was involved in the planning inquiry after contractors for the Archdiocese of Southwark failed to comply with planning consent when building a new school.
Our Lady and St Philip Neri Primary School is undergoing re-development in partnership with the Archdiocese.
In 2016, Lewisham approved plans to demolish the existing buildings on the OLSPN site in Sydenham Road and build a three-storey school.
But after construction began it became clear that the building “varied significantly from the original planning permission granted”, leaving residents, councillors, and the local authority very concerned.
She also dismissed the enforcement notice appeal and removed Option B – she said Option A is “clear and precise”.
Unfortunately the matter is not yet entirely complete:
The Archdiocese has applied for the council to cover all or some of its inquiry costs, labelling the planning authority “unreasonable”, having caused “unnecessary or wasted expense”.
It said the council delayed the development “which should clearly be permitted”, made “vague, generalised or inaccurate assertions” about the proposals’ impact, and was slow to act after their appeal was lodged.
But the council has urged the planning inspectorate to throw out the costs application.
“The council is firmly of the view that the appeals were not able to be avoided […] this application for costs is fundamentally unreasonable,” Lewisham said in its response, adding both parties should cover their own appeal expenses.
The decision on costs will be made at a later date.
There is more history and analysis both in the full article at News Shopper and over at SE26.life :
Hi all, The OLSPN school redevelopment has taken a difficult path, and the Archdiocese has applied for a full planning inquiry, which will take some time to complete. If you object to the Archdiocese’s plan to make minimal changes to the current...
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