Secretary of State grants planning permission for 1300 new homes in London and awards Appellant full costs

Comer Homes Group has secured planning permission on appeal for the redevelopment of the North London Business Park.  The permission is a hybrid permission comprising full planning permission for 376 residential units in five blocks reaching eight storeys, the provision of a 5 Form Entry Secondary School, a gymnasium, a multiuse sports pitch and associated changing facilities, and improvements to open space and transport infrastructure, and outline permission for up to 824 additional residential units in buildings ranging from two to eleven storeys, up to 5,177m2 of non-residential floorspace (Use Classes A1-A4, B1 and D1) and 2.9 hectares of public open space, associated site preparation/enabling works, transport infrastructure and junction works, landscaping and car parking.  The Secretary of State awarded Comer its full costs of the appeal. The appeal is also notable for the time it took for the Secretary of State to issue his decision, the inquiry having closed in November 2018. Christopher Katkowski QC and Robert Walton QC acted for Comer Homes Group, instructed by Alistair Watson at Taylor Wessing LLP.