will say what the points were later. It is sufficient for me to say
now that I did not consider the interests of justice required that
the council should be allowed to pursue them on this
application” (671 at g) -h))
115. The same point about the significance of factual inquiry was made in Trustees of
the Barker Mill Estates v Test Valley Borough Council [2016] EWHC 3028:
“77 In an application for statutory review of a planning
decision there is no absolute bar on the raising of a point which
was not taken before the inspector or decision-maker. But it is
necessary to examine the nature of the new point sought to be
raised in the context of the process which was followed up to
the decision challenged to see whether the claimant should be
allowed to argue it. For example, one factor which weighs
strongly against allowing a new point to be argued in the High
Court is that if it had been raised in the earlier inquiry or
appeal process, it would have been necessary for further
evidence to be produced and/or additional factual findings or
judgments to be made by the inspector, or alternatively
participants would have had the opportunity to adduce
evidence or make submissions (or the inspector might have
called for more information…” (Holgate J)
116.
Turning to the facts and circumstance of the present case.
117. Firstly, as per the stipulation of Holgate J in Trustees of Barker Mills, I have
examined the nature of the point raised and I have concluded that, in my judgment,
the 1900 Act is a material consideration because of the impediment it presents to
delivery of the Memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens and the importance attached by
the Inspector to the delivery of the Memorial in the lifetime of Holocaust survivors.
In South Oxfordshire, the Judge identified the omission of a material consideration as
a scenario in which the Inspector’s decision could be rendered unlawful
notwithstanding that the point had not been raised in representations.
118. Secondly, the point was raised at the inquiry. It was raised by Mr Gerhold. The
Inspector’s decision letter records that 131 written representations were received at
the appeal stage. He summarises the representations including the following:
“These changes would breach the condition of the donation of
£1,000 made by the benefactor W H Smith in 1879, that the
land was kept a made by the benefactor W H Smith in 1879,
that the land was kept as a garden for the use of the inhabitants
of Westminster. It would be in direct contravention of the 1900
Act under which the land was to be used as a park in
perpetuity. (12.15)”
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