Plans to bulldoze a historic building were given final approval after receiving backing from the Mayor of London.

In July, Barnet Borough Council’s planning committee approved plans to turn the British Newspaper Library, in Colindale Avenue, into an 11-storey tower block of 395 flats.

They were then rubber stamped by Mayor of London Boris Johnson before being sent back to Barnet to be formally ratified by planning officers under delegated powers.

But confusion arose yesterday when GLA member for Barnet Andrew Dismore said he was “astounded” it had not gone to committee and that objections had been ignored.

Despite attending and speaking at the meeting on July 30, he has now apologised for yesterday’s misleading statements.

He said: “They all blend into one there is so many of them. There are so many applications in that area I’d forgotten this had gone to committee.”