The following press release has been published by Save Our Thames Side:
The judicial review was heard in the High Court on Tuesday 6th December. Mr Justice Supperstone listened carefully to argument from our barrister, Mr Andrew Parkinson from Landmark Chambers, and then to Neil Cameron QC representing Elmbridge BC. Unusually in this case the Council are the Planning Authority, the landowner and the developer. The judge reserved his judgment and we expect that this will be handed down in the next few weeks.
Meanwhile the Council are continuing with the works, pouring concrete and building the Elmbridge Sports Hub at Waterside Drive. They have an alternative planning permission waiting in the wings in the event we are successful and the High Court quash the earlier impugned decision to permit this development on a 14 ha greenfield site by the river Thames.
Kristina Kenworthy, Chair of the Surrey Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England in support of us said, “This is an important Green Belt case and relies on the correct interpretation of the NPPF paragraph 89. We are very concerned about the urbanising effects of these developments encroaching on precious green spaces under the guise of exempted outdoor recreational facilities. A sports pavilion sounds innocent enough but when considered with all the other paraphernalia to accommodate three private clubs, a very different picture emerges. We cannot think that the government meant the Green Belt could be sacrificed just because the sports are played in the open air. The important point about Green Belt land is keeping it open permanently.
We will update this page as soon as we have judgment.
Thank you for your support.
