Unpopular office block could be overturned by London Mayor

By Grainne Cuffe, local democracy reporter

A largely unpopular development in Brixton approved by Lambeth Council might be overturned by the Mayor of London.   

Lambeth’s planning application committee voted four to three to approve Hondo Enterprises’ 20-storey office block in Pope’s Road in November. 

Hondo bought Market Row and Brixton Village in 2018, while the site concerned is home to Sports Direct. 

The decision was initially deferred after members described the scheme as “monstrous” and “mediocre” at a planning meeting in August.  

Hondo owner Taylor McWilliams, said the lack of office space in the area “is preventing growth, local jobs, and opportunities” and that businesses starting in Brixton “often have to move as they grow”.  

But members raised concerns about demand for office space amid the Covid-19 pandemic and after it. 

They also criticised the evidence of demand put forward by the developer as “speculation” rather than fact.  

In November the majority of comments on the application opposed the plans.

It also emerged that residents were “distressed” after they were reported to have signed in favour of the scheme without being given the full details.   

An online petition opposing the development that had more than 7,000 signatures in November, has more than 8,000 now.  

But at the meeting in November, a planning officer dismissed the petition as the council “could not confirm the accuracy” of it.    

The decision to approve the tower was slammed by the local #FightTheTower campaign, which has since been fundraising to take legal action against it.  

The campaign was dealt another blow in December when the Sadiq Khan backed the decision to approve the tower.

Locals were also aggrieved after Brixton Buzz reported in December that Lambeth Council had invoiced Hondo £177,559 for ‘consultancy’ for the planned development.  

The fee, details of which came out from a Freedom of Information request, was for consultancy services provided by Lambeth officers. 

But the campaign group celebrated on Tuesday (January 26) after it emerged that the Greater London Authority (GLA) had written to Lambeth’s head of planning to say the Mayor’s decision to back the scheme was quashed. 

The letter, from the head of development planning at the GLA, stated that the move was because the Mayor had not seen all the representations received by the council. 

He wrote: “Lambeth referred the application for the Mayor’s Stage 2 consideration on December 2 2020 and the Mayor made his Stage 2 decision, following his planning meeting, on December 14 2020.  

“It has since come to light that the Mayor was not provided with all the representations received by Lambeth.  

“This does not meet the referral requirements of Article 5 of the Town and Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008.  

“It is our intention, therefore, to complete the Stage 2 process afresh.  

“To that end we have asked you to provide us with a full set of the representations received by you, together with the latest draft of the related s106 agreement.” 

This means the Mayor’s initial decision to back the scheme is retracted and he will now look the plans “afresh”.  

After the news #FightTheTower tweeted: “Sadiq Khan has agreed to reconsider his decision to approve Taylor Tower!

“He says his original decision ‘should be considered of no effect’, as he wasn’t sent all the opposition! We have a second chance to show the Mayor of London why the Tower should be stopped!”