Lady Dido Berkeley has lost her High Court action to stop the £500m redevelopment of the Lots Road power station in Chelsea

The aristocratic campaigner had claimed the development was in breach of the Blue Ribbon Network policy, which protects the River Thames. Berkeley said deputy prime minister John Prescott had misapplied that policy when granting the go-ahead for the Terry Farrell-designed scheme.

But Judge Hamilton rejected her allegations. ‘There is no basis for arguing that the secretary of state’s decision gives developers carte blanche to ignore the BRN policy or emasculates it,’ she said.

Lots Road is being developed by Hutchison Whampoa, which proposes to convert the power station into a 1.5m sq ft (139,353 sq m) mixed-use scheme comprising two towers.