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Judicial Review

Posted Thu 20 Apr '17

Friends of North Kensington Library are seeking legal advice to call the decision to build a new multiplex building into Judicial Review.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea are known by local developers as an authority that sees planning regulations as a minor concern that they can opt out of enforcing when it comes to the interests of their friends.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea are known by local developers as an authority that sees planning regulations as a minor concern that they can opt out of enforcing when it comes to the interests of their friends.

In keeping with this long and rotten tradition they recently granted planning permission for a building which consolidates library and youth services into a large multiplex building, in order to facilitate the expansion of two private schools. One of the schools will inhabit the historic, grade two listed current library building and the other will occupy 60% of the new building. The scheme epitomises RBKC's reputation for ignoring the wishes of residents, servicing developers and flouting planning law.

The proposed new building:

  • flies in the face of local opposition
  • disadvantages disabled users of youth services
  • sees the loss of the a separate children's library
  • increases traffic at a local accident blackspot
  • proposes a children's playground in the direct fallout of a motorway
  • fails national standards for preserving sunlight on the surrounding buildings
  • grossly outmasses the buildings it is set to replace
  • does not comply with local planning law

Friends of North Kensington Library are seeking legal advice to call this decision into Judicial Review. The initial costs of this advice will be:

£1250 = initial advice, £1500 = drafting an application to review if the advice is positive

Join us in showing RBKC that our community will not stand by while they ride roughshod over ordinary people and the law to do favours for their friends.