Ocado is taking Islington Council to the High Court to overturn the block on its bid to open a round-the-clock delivery hub next to a school in Tufnell Park.
The food delivery giant applied to open a delivery hub on the Bush Industrial Estate site, bordering Yerbury Primary School, in 2019.
The site's owner Telereal Trillium was granted a lawful development certificate by the council in 2017, allowing storage and distribution.
But it was revoked in October last year after campaign group NOcado submitted evidence which they claim demonstrates the site had not been used for storage and distribution since 1992.
NOcado, made up of nearby residents and families of Yerbury pupils, has been named on the High Court challenge as an interested party and is now looking to raise £10,000 through a crowdfunder to ensure representation at the court hearing.
Campaigners are concerned the site - which could serve up to 100 delivery vans a day at peak times - will be noisy and will increase pollution near the school playground and residential streets.
A spokesperson from NOcado said: "Without funding, we’ll be locked out of the legal process.
"A win for Ocado will open the floodgates to a deluge of distribution depots in unsuitable locations across the country.
"This is a completely unsuitable location, which already had an Islington Council planning order that it should not be used for storage and distribution."
A spokesperson for Ocado said the site would be "one of the greenest and quietest grocery facilities in the UK" thanks to its fleet of 100 per cent electric vans.
They added: "At a time when delivering groceries to households has never mattered more, we are committed to being the best possible neighbour on the Bush Industrial Estate, which is designated as a ‘locally significant industrial site’.
"Additionally, we will also contribute to the local economy by creating 300 new jobs.
"In the meantime, we will continue to listen and respond to local concerns to ensure we reach a positive outcome for all parties.”
Telereal Trillium and Islington Council declined to comment.
View NOcado's crowdfunder at tinyurl.com/yb9s9va6
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