Haringey Council demolished a former Muswell Hill care home in breach of its own planning rules, it has admitted.
The Cranwood care home, in Woodside Avenue, was demolished before planning conditions had been submitted and approved.
The building was knocked down without dust monitors being installed to ensure nearby residents were not being polluted.
The works also began without a hoarding licence in place.
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Labour cabinet member Cllr Ruth Gordon has apologised, calling the breaches “unacceptable”, and an internal review has been ordered.
But the authority has refused to say whether any staff face disciplinary action.
"Smelled a rat”
The demolition began on September 19 and work was halted on October 14.
Dr Jeremy Klein was one of many residents who opposed the development, saying the tall blocks of flats set to replace the care home were out of keeping with the neighbourhood.
He has lived in Cranley Gardens for 20 years and can see the site from his home.
“We could see quite clearly that the demolition had started,” he said.
Dr Klein had been following the planning process closely and knew demolition was not supposed to begin until a Demolition Environmental Management Plan (DEMP) had been agreed.
He could see on the council’s website that the DEMP had not even been submitted, let alone approved.
“We are quite active citizens and my wife and I smelled a rat,” said Dr Klein.
Admission
Dr Klein raised concerns with local councillors, then escalated them to Tottenham Hale Labour councillor Ruth Gordon, Haringey’s cabinet member for “housebuilding, placemaking and development”.
Cllr Gordon has since emailed Dr Klein to admit the breaches.
“Unfortunately, dust monitoring units were not installed at the site during the demolition phase owing to an oversight, which we apologise for,” she wrote.
“While we are confident that the site’s demolition was carried out in accordance with health and safety regulations and building control regulations, unfortunately the relevant planning conditions were not discharged or submitted.
“Work has been paused on the site and any further construction activity will only recommence once the required documentation has been signed off... and any monitoring arrangements as part of the relevant planning conditions are approved.”
Cllr Gordon described the breaches as “unacceptable”, adding: “The responsibility for these mistakes does lie with the housing development team and they have apologised to me for this unacceptable situation.
“I have made it clear to them that I expect lessons to be learnt from these mistakes.”
Response
Dr Klein said he was unimpressed.
“The thing about this is the ultimate applicant is another part of Haringey Council,” he said.
“So basically, the housing department decided to not comply with the procedures that everyone else would have to comply with.
“There are questions about the rather casual attitude towards the whole thing that need to be responded to by officers.”
Haringey Council did not provide any statement and would not say whether any staff faced discipline.
The Ham&High understands that the housing development team has been told to undertake a review of the processes which led to the demolition works beginning in breach of planning rules.
Troubled History
The planning breaches are the latest in a string of controversies surrounding the development.
In 2014, some Woodside Avenue residents were told their homes may face demolition, as well as the care home, to make way for flats.
The council bought one house – valued at £850,000 – for £2.15 million, but then abandoned the planned demolition of the houses, sparking a Metropolitan Police fraud investigation.
The Local Government Ombudsman later wrote a report condemning former council leader Joseph Ejiofor for the U-turn, which he has repeatedly challenged at the High Court, without success.
Permission was eventually granted last year to demolish the care home and build 41 new homes, of which 32 would be available at low social rents.
But months later, the council upped the proposed rents by hundreds of pounds per month, saying it had to do so in order to ensure the financial viability of the development.
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