Déjà vu as campaigners prepare for return (again) of Sainsbury’s plans

Campaigners took part in a ‘Bug Parade’ to protest against the Sainsbury’s plans earlier this year: Photograph: Eleonore de Bonneval

Campaigners could be forgiven for experiencing déjà vu when plans for a controversial Sainsbury’s supermarket go before Hackney Council’s planning sub-committee for a third time in December.

Campaign group Stokey Local is bringing a judicial review of the council’s decision to rubber stamp the plans and has launched a renewed appeal for funds to fight the case.

There were shouts of “shame on you” from the public gallery when councillors on the planning sub-committee voted four to one in favour of a revised application by developers Newmark Properties in July – just three months after rejecting earlier plans.

Foregone conclusion?

Newmark Properties has said it has resubmitted an application identical to the one approved in July in order to “give the London Borough of Hackney an opportunity to address the concerns raised by Mr Nick Perry on the application process, which is what is being challenged [in the judicial review], not the decision itself”.

In an email to its supporters, Stokey Local said it expects the application to be re-heard next month, adding: “This means that in December the councillors will be asked to approve an application which is identical to one which they have previously approved (and which they assert was properly decided), I think we can all guess what the outcome of that is going to be!

“This is one reason why we are calling on the Secretary of State to ‘call in’ the application… In the meantime we are still pressing the council to re-consider the financial viability arguments (which the developer is using to avoid meeting affordable housing targets) the need for an environmental impact assessment, and the impact the development will have on heritage (it is by far the largest development in a conservation area the borough has ever seen).”

Related:

Leader: Town Hall’s inconsistent line on Stoke Newington supermarket