Barnet Council has been ordered to pay costs to the vicar and churchwardens of St Mark's Church in New Barnet after a controversial planning application was approved by a planning inspector.
The church in Potters Road successfully appealed against the council's decision to refuse planning permission for the demolition of the church's hall and adjoining scout hut.
The plan met with fierce opposition from residents of St Mark's Close and Potters Road and includes the part demolition of the east end of the church, the construction of a new church extension and nine houses.
Residents claimed the development would create extra traffic and also problems with additional flooding.
But the inspector ruled the council had "misinterpreted the facts" in relation to drainage and acted unreasonably in choosing to ignore advice from the Environment Agency.
Helen Howson, 53, of St Mark's Close, said: "We are just gutted. We had a weak defence and the people at Barnet planning didn't take any of our objections into consideration."
Development control planning manager Ian Tremayne, said of the appeal: "We regret that the case put by the council at the appeal was not accepted by the inspector."
November 28, 2001 19:30
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