Court win for developer opposed by Prince Charles

[June 25, 2010]  LONDON (AP) -- A British judge says a developer whose project was canceled following opposition from Prince Charles is entitled to damages.

Judge Geoffrey Vos ruled Friday that Qatari Diar Real Estate breached its contract with developer Christian Candy when it withdrew an application for planning permission for a building in London's upscale Chelsea district.

Charles, a long-standing critic of modern architecture, had written to Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, Qatar's prime minister and the head of Qatari Diar, expressing his opposition to the design by famed architect Richard Rogers.

The judge didn't immediately award damages because the developer had not applied for them. The issue could be taken up at a later hearing.

[Associated Press]

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