The scheme, which will be brought forward by developer Grainger, will see the demolition of the existing building at Wards Corner and the construction of 196 new homes, a new market hall and 2,619 square metres of retail space.
The site has been identified as a strategic priority for regeneration by the Council for nearly a decade. The Council first granted planning permission for the redevelopment in 2008. That permission underwent judicial review and was subsequently quashed by the Court of Appeal. On re-determining the application, the Council's planning sub-committee refused the proposals.
A new application was approved by the Council in July 2012. Local community group Wards Corner Community Coalition (WCC) applied for judicial review (2-page / 80KB PDF) of the decision claiming that the Council had shown "disregard for their own policy documents" and that it had failed to carry out adequate assessments of the site.
Following the High Court's decision not to grant permission for judicial review, WCC has said it will consider whether to appeal the decision, according to a Property Week report.
