Norwich Anglia Square: Robert Jenrick 'sided with Nimby brigade'

A developer has accused Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick of "choosing to side with the Nimby brigade" after he rejected its plans for 1,250 homes.

The Anglia Square scheme in Norwich, which received 700 objections, was approved by the council and called in by the government.

Mr Jenrick ruled it could not go ahead.

Weston Homes' chief Bob Weston said "short-sighted" Mr Jenrick had "gone against local democracy" and it would seek an appeal at the High Court.

A statement from Mr Jenrick on Thursday said demolishing the 1960s-built Anglia Square shopping complex and replacing it with a 20-storey apartment block, a hotel, cinema and shops "did not protect and enhance the heritage assets of the city".

The secretary of state was particularly damning of the tower block, describing it as "of an excessive size in relation to its context", which did not "demonstrate the exceptional quality required by policy".

He concluded the benefits of the project would not outweigh the harm to the city's heritage.

His decision went against the views of the Planning Inspectorate, which had recommended the proposal be approved.

Mr Weston said: "The secretary of state has gone against local democracy and the recommendations of a public inquiry, choosing to side with the Nimby brigade who would rather see Norwich city centre die than support a future for the city's economy."

Hundreds of objectors had said the tower block would have a negative impact on the skyline and could set a precedent for other development in the city.

Save Britain's Heritage, which had battled against the plans for three years with the Norwich Society, Historic England and other organisations, said it was delighted as the tower would have had "a deeply harmful effect on the low-scale character of this magnificent medieval city".

"This decision provides a huge opportunity for a more enlightened development approach to now come forward," said director Henrietta Billings.

Marcus Binney, its executive president, said: "The secretary of state has repelled the vandals at the city gate.

"Norwich has been spared the most monstrous carbuncle that ever threatened to deface an English cathedral city."

Council leader Alan Waters said the decision made it very unlikely Norwich would benefit from £15m in government funding already allocated to the scheme.

"Now, more than ever, we need to be investing and building on sites like these to stimulate the economy and offer jobs and homes to people," he said.

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