Legal challenge to Stamford Hill homes quashed

The Agudas Israel Housing Association is celebrating the defeat of a legal challenge to a building project for Orthodox families in Stamford Hill.

In the High Court last Friday, Mr Justice Duncan Ouseley rejected an application from local residents for a judicial review of Hackney Council’s approval of plans to redevelop the former Avigdor School site in Lordship Road into a special needs school and 29 residential units.

AIHA chief executive Ita Symons welcomed the verdict but was angry at the £50,000 legal bill. “It was a waste of precious resources,” she said. “We had no doubt we would win because we went through everything thoroughly.” Mrs Symons feared “more trouble” from the protesters, known as Avigdor Futures.

Geraldine Waring, whose garden overlooks the Avigdor site, expressed disappointment at the decision.“We are going to look at what else we can do because we still want it reduced. We don’t want people walking past our area and seeing a monstrosity.”