Council Spend Twenty Four Thousand on Princes Parade Judicial Review To Date
Other peoples money, who doesn’t like spending other peoples money?
So far the Council have spent a little over £24,000 with Attwell Solicitors, who are defending the Judicial Review case for Folkestone & Hythe District Council. The Council’s representative in the High Court will be Richard Harwood QC of 39 Essex Chambers.
The Judicial-Review has been brought by the Save Princes Parade group. and their lead member Elaine Martin.
The solicitor’s representing the Save Princes Parade group are Richard Buxton based in Cambridge. Their representative at the High Court will be Andrew Parkinson of Landmark Chambers
Planning consent for the development of 150 houses, a leisure centre and a hotel was was formally granted on 18 July 2019. It had been approved by the planning committee in August 2018 subject to the Environment Agency withdrawing their objection to the surface water being drained into the canal. The EA very reluctantly did so in early 2019.
Following the formal grant of planning consent on 18 July 2019 the Save Princes Parade group instructed their solicitors to request a judicial review of the planning decision. The council’s response to the Save Princes Parade group Pre Action Protocol Letter was, as expected, a refusal to withdraw their planning consent.
Papers for the judicial review were lodged with the High Court on 27th August 2019. The High Court’s initial consideration of the Save Princes Parade Group was initially refused consent to go forward. However, not be beaten at the first hurdle the tenacious group and their lawyers referred their case back to the courts for reconsideration in open court. On 3rd December the group were granted permission to proceed to the substantive hearing of the Judicial Review.
As we understand an initial date of March 12th was set for a one day hearing at the High Court in London. However, that date has now been kicked into the long grass and a new hearing date is awaited.
The Shepwayvox Team
Journalism For The People NOT the Powerful.
Is this the same Elaine Martin, who is married to Green Cllr Jim Martin? The same E Martin who put in planning application Y18/0321/SH for a three storey building right next to the Royal Military Canal? Strange how it’s not OK on one side of the canal but fine on the other.
The phrase about tangled webs we weave comes to mind after reading this – well reading every Shepway Vox posting lately, often fuming at the same time.
In the late 50’s/early 60’s, my father and his friends (many of them in the medical profession) would sail off Princes Parade every summer weekend. . They would come from Ashford, Folkestone, Hythe and Saltwood. I had to help drag Dad’s boat up and down the beach on inflatable rollers. Sometimes it was a bit dangerous when they launched off the beach due to the size of the waves.
They all got together, raised funds and this is how Hythe & Saltwood Sailing Club came about. I ate a lot of Mum’s cakes to help raise the funds, so did my kids. Dad was a Commodore way back.
For this reason I am keeping an eye on this campaign and am a protester living in Folkestone. Of course if the luxury flats had been there plus the “leisure centre”, my father and his friends wouldn’t have been able to sail off the beach – no parking for cars and trailers.
Hence the idea of a Sailing Club, with places to store sailing boats over winter, would never have come about. This Club is incredibly popular and probably more than quadrupled in size.
I have such happy memories of all the wonderful Sundays spent having picnics on the beach (I wasn’t a keen sailor) but enjoyed meeting others of my own age!
how can u build right next to the sea. look now the beach is gone . funny how all of a sudden shingle started being put on the beach in that area . then after a few yrs house’s were planed. how much a yr will it cost for Londoners to keep there holiday homes safe
Let’s get that leisure centre built on Princes Parade asap. Nothing sacred about a former rubbish tip.
I think the key to the above comment is “former”. Now nature has breathed new life into the area only for the council to attempt to destroy it a second time at huge expense and as part of a very risky venture.
Let’s Save Prince’s Parade and build a new, bigger and better leisure centre at Martello Lakes.
Residents who wish to support their campaign can (via their website – link below) make a donation and keep up to date with developments.
http://saveprincesparade.org/