Council says it will always fight ‘robustly’ to defend planning decisions when challenged, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Enfield Council has spent over £500,000 in legal costs defending planning decisions in court.

Between 2018 and December 2023, the council spent £504,000 of which £54,000 was spent on legal costs and £450,000 was awarded to the appellants.

In response the council said it did on occasion have to defend its decisions.

Information found through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, which 17 London councils responded to, uncovered that neighbouring borough Barnet spent £169,790 in total while Camden was even lower at £58,400.

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An Enfield Council spokesperson said: “We will, on occasion, have to defend our decisions on planning applications and we will continue to do so robustly, driven by what is best for our residents and the borough.

“We have also recently concluded the Regulation 19 consultation on our draft Local Plan.

“Implementation of a new Local Plan will provide a clear framework for sustainable development, protecting the interests of our community and reducing financial liabilities.”

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