A campaigner who lost a high court battle to stop £2billion housing plans has vowed the case will go to appeal after hitting a crowdfunding target.
Gordon Peters said raising £27,000 from public donations guaranteed a second courtroom fight between his lawyers and the council’s.
Mr Peters said: “We’ve got a very strong case. The HDV has got to be stopped on a legal level.”
Mr Peters said he felt “99 per cent sure” there would be no HDV, but it had become “a matter of principle” to win the appeal to set a legal example and stop other councils striking similar deals: “A judgement against the HDV will have implications for what’s happening in other parts of London and across the country.”
After thanking donors, he said: “This is about trying to gain more democratic control over housing.”
Of the money donated, £20,000 will go towards paying Haringey’s legal costs, a consequence of not succeeding at the high court, with the remainder to fund the appeal.
Haringey’s plans are to transfer council owned land, homes and business premises into a 50/50 joint venture between itself and private developer Lendlease.
The council believes the scheme, known as the Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV), will deliver the homes and jobs people want. But critics have slammed it, accusing Haringey of social cleansing with council tenants forced from their homes while estates get rebuilt.
Mr Justice Duncan Ouseley gave the HDV a green light after he threw out Mr Peters’ legal challenge in a judidical review (JR) at the high court last month. But the HDV may still not go ahead after May’s local elections with many Labour Party candidates coming out against the scheme. Sitting Labour councillors who supported the HDV have decided not to stand or were not selected.
Mr Peters’ case hangs on the grounds that Haringey failed to consult council tenants; did not consider the impact of the HDV on minorities; was seeking to profit from the scheme and should have asked all councillors to vote on it not just council chiefs.
A Haringey spokeswoman said: “We welcome the court’s original findings, which clearly stated that permission to proceed with the claim for judicial review was refused on all grounds. We are still working on the basis that the final decision to establish the HDV will be taken by a future administration.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here