On Tuesday, December 12th, disappointing news emerged regarding the TFL appeal concerning the development around South Kensington Station, which has been mostly won by the developer, allowing for the development project to largely proceed.
While the necessity for additional housing in South Kensington is acknowledged, the proposed development plans for South Kensington are not suitable. Together over 2,000 people objected along with local residents' associations, Felicity Buchan MP, Tony Devenish AM, and our BHT and Courtfield ward councillors against the inappropriate development of our conservation area. Despite successfully arguing our case at the Council's planning committee in 2021, the developers' appeal led to a public inquiry earlier this year.
Unfortunately, the developers arguments largely prevailed with the planning inspector, although the proposal to damage the listed museum tunnel with retail facilities was rejected, which is a minor victory in the overall context of the development. We are profoundly disappointed that the inspector disregarded the clear sentiments of local residents, allowing harm to our conservation area.
If the development is completed, it promises few benefits of additional housing and partial step-free access to the station, concerns persist about its design and scale, which we find wholly inappropriate. We advocate for step-free access at the South Kensington Tube Station, independent of this development.
Before the matter reached the Planning Inspectorate, Felicity Buchan MP appealed to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities (DLUHC) to intervene, but unfortunately, the decision rested with the Planning Inspectorate.
Ahead of the appeal decision, Felicity Buchan MP wrote to South Kensington residents outlining her opposition to the development and the actions taken thus far to prevent its advancement.
We believe the only viable option to challenge this decision is through a Judicial Review (JR) in the High Court, specifically a Section 288 challenge, contingent upon proving procedural irregularities by the Inspectorate. We are currently evaluating grounds for such a challenge, with the deadline for the Judicial Review application set for January 23rd, six weeks after the decision.
Felicity Buchan MP remains committed to advocating for residents' interests and will provide updates on developments in this matter. This is a very disappointing outcome for South Kensington.
