Unfortunately, at yesterday’s renewal hearing in the High Court, Judge Sir Ross Cranston refused an extension of time our legal challenge of RBWM’s Borough Local Plan.
Three grounds challenging the Borough Local Plan were raised at the hearing, including the flood risk to residents at Strande Park in Cookham, where the Environment Agency had identified the allocation for development as posing ‘a danger to some’, and had recommended that it be removed from the plan.
The other two grounds were: the loss of sporting facilities at Maidenhead Golf Course, highlighted by Sport England as being potentially unsound; and the failure of RBWM to consider the plan at Cabinet before it went to full Council.
We are incredibly disappointed with the outcome of yesterday’s court hearing. We are now reflecting on the legal implications and other avenues to explore.
But we will not give up challenging our council’s environmentally damaging Borough Local Plan, which will have profoundly negative consequences for the health of our community for many decades to come.
We are planning a fourth demonstration outside Maidenhead Town Hall next Tuesday 22 November, from 6.00pm to 7.00pm, when our petition asking for improved air pollution monitoring will be heard.
We would like to thank everyone who has so far supported this ongoing legal challenge and campaign to stop the destruction of hundreds of acres of green belt and thousands of mature trees in our town, and we look forward to the continued support of local residents as we move forward with our campaign.
I’ll be there 👍