Following the Court of Appeal’s judgement yesterday in “Lensbury Ltd and London Borough of Richmond”, The Lensbury has issued the following statement.
“Lensbury remains supportive of renewable energy technologies, including an appropriate hydro-electric power development at Teddington Weir. However, it is crucial for such developments to be properly assessed, to ensure that everyone is clear on the impacts, benefits and suitability of the development proposals.
“We are pleased that the Court of Appeal upheld Lensbury’s concerns and acknowledged that the local planning authority failed to properly assess the scheme against relevant policies. In particular, the Court of Appeal agreed that the local planning authority failed to acknowledge that the scheme was “inappropriate development” under its policies and that there were no exceptional circumstances considered to justify the grant of planning permission. This assessment is a crucial part of the planning process to ensure only appropriate developments, in the most suitable locations, are approved.
“Lensbury will continue to co-operate with Richmond Council and the hydro project’s developer to ensure an appropriate scheme can be progressed.”
