Royal borough launches judicial review challenge over call-in decision by Mayor

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea has launched a judicial review challenge over the Mayor of London’s decision to call in plans for a major redevelopment of a hotel.

On 24 October 2018 the council advised Sadiq Khan that it was minded to refuse permission for the scheme at the Kensington Forum Hotel.  

On 5 November 2018, having considered a report on the case, the Mayor notified the council that he would act as the local planning authority for the purposes of determining the planning applications (under article 7 of the Mayor of London Order and the powers conferred by Section 2A of the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act). 

The plans for the hotel include 340 serviced apartments and 46 homes.

According to a report in Property Week, the council believes that Khan made “a material error of fact” in assessing that the number of homes delivered in the Royal Borough in 2016-17 was 153 instead of the true figure of 319.

Kensington & Chelsea said it expected a result in relation to its application towards the end of this month.

In a statement the council said: “We are hugely disappointed that the Mayor has decided to intervene, especially as we are working with him to build over 600 new homes in the borough at a cost of more than £35m.

“The local democratic process has spoken, with local residents and councillors overwhelmingly against the proposals.

“There is anger in our community, so will continue to look at all legal options.”