§ 72. Mr. Marshasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will state the reasons which led him to overrule the findings of his inspector in relation to the request of Span Developments Limited for permission to build on the site occupied by No. 44 Blackheath Park, S.E.3.
§ Mr. BrookeI will send the hon. Member a copy of the letter conveying my decision; my reasons are fully set out there. Broadly, the arguments were under three heads—that 44 Blackheath Park should not be demolished, that the daylighting and outlook of the adjoining house would be affected, and that the development proposed would spoil the appearance of the adjoining development. I agreed with the Inspector's view that there was no case for preventing demolition. I did not think that there was a sufficient case for refusal because of the effect on the adjoining house. The major consideration was the aesthetic effect of the proposed development on the neighbourhood. There is already contemporary development to the west of the site and, taking account of that, of the evidence submitted by both parties (including the views of some eminent architects), and of my Inspector's conclusions, I decided that I would be right to allow the appeal.