In a particularly pathetic attempt to slow the development of The Gateway site down, and favour their preferred project submitted by Arrowcroft, Croydon Council have been stalling on making a decision about the planning application submitted by Stanhope Schroders (the owners of the site) in December 2006.
Stanhope and Schroders have now lodged an appeal against the council.
David Camp, chief executive of Stanhope, and William Hill, director of property at Schroders, is quoted in Property Week as saying:
"Stanhope and Schroders already have planning permission, a fully assembled site and funding in place to commence work on the redevelopment of the Croydon Gateway main site - called Ruskin Square.
It is extremely frustrating to find ourselves in an appeal situation once again particularly when the development in question will deliver the much needed regeneration of a key site and additional affordable housing to Croydon in line with Council policy."
Croydon Council, by their actions (or rather their "inactions"), are demonstrating yet again that they are not acting in the best interests of the citizens of Croydon.
The Gateway site, had it not been for the obstacles put up by Croydon Council would have been well on the way to being developed by now.
1 comment:
Croydon Council in so doing is failing in its duty as the planning authority. It is not acting in an independent way. It is behaving in a partial way. Councillor Wright, the Cabinet Member responsible for planning policy and process has clearly endorsed this behaviour. It is ironic that he refuses to treat Stanhope fairly when at the same time he stands up and condemns the planning inspector for making decisions on planning appeals which go against the democratic will of Croydon Council.
Hardly democratic when he abuses the planning system to simply frustrate one applicant and major land owner.
In any other town or city, the local council would be falling over themselves to welcome a major developer like Stanhope with grand designs by Fosters.
This whole process stinks and brings the Croydon Council into disrepute.
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