An 18-month residents’ fight to send planners back to the drawing board on the controversial Oaks development in Acton has ended in defeat in The Court of Appeal.
The Oaks Action Group wanted a Judicial Review of what it claimed was an illegally selected Ealing Planning Committee, hand-picked to guarantee approval of a scheme for the central shopping centre.
The group claimed Acton Central Councillor Abdullah Gulaid was illegally replaced on the committee after expressing doubts about the plan for an underground supermarket and multi-storey car park ringed by a gated community of flats on the current Oaks car park site.
But on Tuesday (April 7) Mr Justice Philip Sales ruled the majority Labour group was entitled to alter the committee as it saw fit before agendas were issued, and that council "departures" from rules governing substitutions were not significant. He also ruled replacement voter Southall Green Councillor Swarn Kang showed no bias in the committee debate.
A council spokesman said: “The council is pleased the court has again confirmed that correct and lawful procedures were followed when our planning committee granted permission for The Oaks redevelopment scheme.
"The court also ruled that the correct procedures were followed in respect to nominating and substituting councillors on the committee.”
Spokesman for The Oaks campaigners, Doug Carnegie, said the judgement had worrying consequences nationwide for local democracy.
He said: “It gives a green light to tampering with planning committees.
"The council never denied Councillor Gulaid was removed for questioning the plan. Ealing’s own Conservation Officer described it as ‘oppressive and overbearing, poor, incoherent, inarticulate, inefficient, detrimental to local character, and leaving the Churchfield Road area with an awkward future’.
“Surprise, surprise - this vital report was kept from the planning committee.”
Another local activist, Maire Lowe, said: “The good news is developers and planners in Acton are now on notice that residents will go through their schemes with a fine tooth comb. Treating the people who live here like children - that’s finished.”
Developers Acton Regeneration Company have previously rejected criticisms of the plans for The Oaks, pointing out the £40m project will provide 142 new homes, better open spaces and shops, as well as jobs for 500 people.
