By Ian Grant
Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone has given the green light for Arsenal’s 60,000 stadium at Ashburton Grove to go ahead
He said:”I would have refused permission for Arsenal’s original proposal. But my planners have worked closely with the club, Islington Council, Transport for London and the London Development Agency. I believe that the new package of proposals will give London a world-class stadium, new homes and jobs and a better environment, and will help to regenerate a part of London desperately in need of major investment.”
One of the keys to the go-ahead was Arsenal’s increased contribution for local transport improvement from £5.75m to £7.59m.
Livingstone added that he welcomed the significant proportion of affordable housing in the development.
He said that the government could still step in say it wants a public inquiry, and that “although a lot of people want that, they are not aware of the scale of the changes Arsenal have undertaken. This scheme has become a model for developers. If every other developer had a social conscience of Arsenal, I would be well pleased.”
A spokesman from the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, told a representative of ANR that Islington Council had submitted the planning application to the Mayor and the DTLR on 28 December.
Under pressureStephen Byers, and his civil servants, have a further seven days to say whether they are to call it in for a public inquiry. That’s the theory at least. He could legally pronounce that he wants more time to come to a decision.
Arsenal fear that a public inquiry would delay their plans, if approved, by another two years.
Major Arsenal shareholder, Danny Fiszman said: “Following the major public consultation that Islington Council and ourselves have already undertaken, together with the exemplary way we have conducted our environmental assessment, like the mayor, we do not believe that a Public Inquiry is necessary. We hope that the Secretary of State shares the same view.”
For more information on brownfield, environmental and regeneration issues, see: Brownfield Briefing.