Passport to Norton Folgate? Hackney parish demands liberty

Residents of a small parish in east London intend to declare "independence" to prevent a skyscraper being built in their neighbourhood.

More than 5,000 campaigners are fighting a scheme to build 645,000 square feet of offices, 310 flats and a hotel in Norton Folgate - a short length of street between Bishopsgate and Shoreditch High Street.

Hackney council has granted approval to property developer Hammerson for Bishop's Place, a £700 million scheme next to Liverpool Street's Broadgate Tower. But like the fictional residents of Pimlico in the 1949 Ealing comedy, Passport To Pimlico, opponents of the plans claim they could have an ancient right to self-determination. In the film, an ancient document reveals that London's Pimlico district belongs to France and can become rationing-free.

The Norton Folgate residents, who have the backing of English Heritage, say maps in the City of London Guildhall Library show their neighbourhood has the status of a distinct district, giving them the right to resist central planning law in the capital.

Architectural expert Robin Stummer, who found the documents, said: "There could well be grounds for questioning the status of Norton Folgate, some of which could pertain to building rights and consent."

The area was originally the precinct of the Priory and Hospital of St Mary Spital. When the land reverted to the Crown during the Reformation, a small extra-parochial "liberty" retained its separate status and came under the jurisdiction of the Dean and Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral. It was thought the liberty had been abolished in 1900, but the documents may argue against that.

Madness singer Suggs is to release an album called The Liberty of Norton Folgate.