Council Spend Twenty Four Thousand on Princes Parade Judicial Review To Date
shepwayvox
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.
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.
