'No chance' for judicial review (From Watford Observer)

'No chance' for judicial review

4:31pm Thursday 13th March 2008 in News

Legal action will not be sought by Watford Borough Council to challenge a planning inspector's decision to approve construction of 11 new homes on backgarden land.

The government-appointed inspector made his decision after the council's Development Control committee rejected plans to build the homes on land bound by Gammons Lane and Ridge Lane.

The council sought legal advice with a view to a judicial review but was told any attempt to overturn the inspector's decision would end in failure.

This, however, goes against advice received by members of the Ridge Association, who are deeply opposed to the development. They have been told a review would have a 50-60 per cent chance of success.

A revised planning application for the development will be heard by the council tonight (Thursday). If approved, developers Visao Ltd would then be able to choose which application they went ahead with.

Watford Mayor Dorothy Thornhill said: "If we fought every single decision, residents of Watford would throw me out of office. I don't think they want their money being thrown at a court case when we've been told we won't win.

"Had the brief come back and said there's a chance, we would have gone for it. The feeling of councillors is so strong that had our brief given us a little window of hope, we would have gone for it. But we will support residents all the way."

Ian Oakley, the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Watford, labelled the council's decision not to pursue a judicial reviews as a "betrayal" of local residents.

He said: "They went to the expense of getting their own legal advice that suggested they had a better than even chance of success and now the council is ignoring this. They have spent enormous amounts of time, energy and money on this issue and they have been let down. The residents of Ridge Lane, Nascot and Leggatts deserve better."