The 1,500 flats Millwall waterfront plan has been put on hold after the government was forced to accept it “acted unlawfully” in a legal battle with Tower Hamlets Council over plans for five skyscraper towers

In January, housing secretary Robert Jenrick gave consent, overruling the Government’s own planning inspector’s decision to reject the scheme.

The council then initiated legal action against Jenrick in March, alleging that the timing of the decision appeared to show bias in deciding to allow the planning appeal.

The council asked the court to order the government to disclose documents that it argued would show the housing secretary was influenced by a desire to help the developer save money by avoiding the council’s revised Community Infrastructure Levy charges.

The Westferry Printworks decision was made just one day before the council adopted changes to its CIL levels, which would mean the developer had to pay between £30m and £50m more to the council.

Faced with the prospect of having to release documentation relating to the decision, Jenrick chose to allow the planning permission to be quashed.

Mayor John Biggs said: “We may never know what emails and memos the secretary of state received before making his decision and what influence they had, but his reluctance to disclose them speaks volumes.

“In siding with the developer, he went against not only the planning inspector but also the council’s Strategic Development Committee and the residents whose lives would be directly impacted by this scheme.

“I am grateful to our legal team for their work on this case and for successfully holding the government to account.

“We will continue to press for a scheme that meets the needs of the community on the Isle of Dogs in terms of height and density, the provision of adequate affordable housing and infrastructure delivery.”

Cllr Rachel Blake, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Planning, said: “This is great news for Tower Hamlets and I would like to pay tribute to the teams involved. We were shocked that in taking his decision, the secretary of state went against the government’s own planning inspector’s recommendation.

“The timing, which meant the developer would have been able to pay significantly lower infrastructure costs than if it had been made the following week, meant we had no choice but to challenge it through the courts.”

Peel Place, the £161m civic quarter of the South Kilburn Masterplan Regeneration Programme, will now go-ahead into construction.

Developer Countryside, housing association Home Group and Brent Council are working together to deliver 308 homes, of which 41% will be for affordable housing – including shared ownership and social rented homes.

As part of the civic quarter, residents will also have access to a new health centre, community hub, affordable gym, affordable workspace, and a market square.

Child Graddon Lewis Architects & Designers is the architect for Peel Place

Located within walking distance of the bustling Carlton Vale area and a short walk from Queen’s Park and Kilburn Park stations, the first wave of new homes is expected to be ready in Q3 2021.

Andy Fancy, managing director, Partnerships North & South London, Countryside said: “Gaining planning permission for the entire Peel Place scheme is testament to the meticulous work we have done together with Home Group and Brent Council to shape a vision for what’s set to become a thriving new community in the capital.”

“The Brooklyn” will provide 150 homes alongside 25,000 sq ft of office space and is designed by architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands.

The scheme will be 18 storeys high and will occupy a site called St Olav’s Court next to the Rotherhithe Tunnel.

Planning permission will now be sought from Southwark Council after Southern Grove exchanged on the site last week.

The development is near a 53-acre site south-east of Canada Water Station that has become a major redevelopment focus for Southwark Council under its Canada Water Area Action Plan.

Planning permission for the new ‘town centre’ was granted for British Land’s scheme in October, promising a £3.3bn facelift including 3,000 homes that will help turn the whole Canada Water area into a major regeneration centre.

Tom Slingsby, CEO of developer Southern Grove, said: “The Brooklyn is a fantastic addition to this site and will provide a healthy boost to housing and commercial stock in Canada Water, which is one of the capital’s regeneration hotbeds.

“People living here really will feel like they are within striking distance of central London. They will be able to hop on the Tube and be in the City, Canary Wharf or any corner of the capital in minutes.

“Canada Water is going to be put on the map in a bold new way by the extensive regeneration that is going to take hold over the next 15 years and our own scheme will complement that effort.”