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Planning officers at Tower Hamlets council have cast doubt on the ability of the local authority to defend any appeal of its decision to reject British Land鈥檚 Norton Folgate plans.

Tower Hamlets鈥� planning committee voted against the 35,550m虏 scheme last month against the recommendation of planning officers, following a high-profile campaign to save the estate from what some had dubbed a 鈥榙amaging鈥� redevelopment.

The council refused planning due to the 鈥榰nsypmathetic alteration鈥� to a number of heritage assets and the low proportion of housing compared to office and retails space in the new scheme, which was designed by prominent architecture practices AHMM, Duggan Morris, DSDHA and Stanton Williams.

The council also refused planning due to the scale of the new scheme, stating: 鈥淭heir replacements, by reason of the scale, mass and design would be harmful to the character and appearance of the conservation area. As a result, the proposal would cause 鈥榣ess than substantial鈥� harm to the Elder Street Conservation Area and the Brick Lane and Fournier Street Conservation Area.鈥�

However in a on August 27 planning officers stated that the decision would be difficult to defend.

The consideration by offiers said: 鈥淚t is the professional view of officers that the above reasons for refusal could be defended at appeal, however the likelihood of success may be limited, particularly with regard to the low proportion of housing within the scheme.鈥�

In a warning to the council, the report stated that though local authorities are not bound to accept the recommendations of their officers, the authority needs to show 鈥榬easonable鈥� planning grounds for taking a contrary decision to the professional advice or could face paying the costs of any appeal.

British Land has not stated whether it will consider appealing against the council鈥檚 decision.