Residents have launched a last chance legal challenge to save a South London “beauty spot” from a “monster” seven-storey block of flats.

Campaigners will appeal the High Court’s decision to back Lewisham Council’s approval of 110 council homes next to the Sydenham Hill  Wood nature reserve.

On Monday, high court judge Mr Justice Fordham dismissed residents’ bid to overrule Lewisham’s permit for the revamp of the Sydenham Hill estate.

He ruled there were no grounds to overturn the local authority’s decision and ordered Helen Kinsey, who brought the case on behalf of campaigners, to pay Lewisham’s legal costs of around £5,000. 

Ms Kinsey, who lives on the Sydenham Hill estate, now intends to appeal the judgement in the Court of Appeal.

She argues that The City of London Corporation – which wants to redevelop the site – hasn’t proved the apartment block is the least harmful option for the site.

Campaigners also claim objections to the development by the London Wildlife Trust weren’t taken into account by Lewisham after planning officers missed an email. 

Campaign group Friends of Mais House, named after a block of former supported living accommodation for the elderly that will be bulldozed under the plans, said: “Lewisham determined to drive [the] monster development through.

“Instead of working with the community on a more acceptable, less environmentally destructive scheme, the council instead rushed the self-same scheme back before another planning committee, which again approved the application. 

“The unchanged plans mean the urbanisation of an environmentally sensitive area. […] Following the shock decision by Justice Fordham not to order the quashing of Lewisham’s second grant of planning permission, an appeal is being filed at the Court of Appeal.” 

The City of London Corporation – which owns the Sydenham Hill estate – and Lewisham Council will split the 110 planned flats between them.

Lewisham says the proposed redevelopment of Mais House will provide homes for some of the more than 10,000 families in need of a council property in the borough. 

Lewisham Council originally approved plans for new council homes on the site in August 2020.

Locals subsequently appealed the decision in the High Court and won.

Judges blocked the plans due to errors made by the council during the planning process. 

The local authority brought the proposals back to its planning committee and approved them a second time in June 2021.

Residents then launched another bid to overturn the plans in the High Court but were unsuccessful.

The planned council homes on the Mais House site are part of Lewisham’s council house building scheme, Building for Lewisham.

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