Planning documents at the centre of a dispute between architect Amin Taha and Islington Council, over the future of the controversial 15 Clerkenwell Close in London, have come to light after previously being thought to be lost.
The documents, which are now available to view on the council's online planning portal, show details of the fossils that appear on the facade of the Dezeen Award-shortlisted and RIBA Award-winning housing block.
Taha had previously believed the documents to be lost, as the council claimed the placement of the fossils had not been detailed in the planning application. It cited them as a key issue in a demolition order it issued against the project in February 2018.
The architect believes they offer evidence that the demolition order has no grounding. Taha told "no evidence of stone samples" in application
Taha said he was previously told by the council that the documents showing the stone samples his studio submitted were not in its records.
Islington Council has uploaded documents showing 15 Clerkenwell Close's stone samples to its planning portal. Photo by Tim Soar
"I am extremely reluctant to keep talking about it, but we were told by the enforcement team that despite our record of drawings, photos, emails and letters, there was no evidence at the planning department of stone samples having been submitted," Taha told Dezeen.
"We assumed that they had been lost, or perhaps never shown by the case officer to his team. ...