Campaigners aiming to stop the West Acre Park development of 473 new homes on the site of Westridge Farm have launched another Crowdfunding appeal to cover legal costs.
The team say that following the outcome of Cllr Chris Jarman’s motion calling for the application to be returned to the Planning Committee (the motion fell 6-4) the only option now is to take the matter to court.
Judicial Review
Once the formal planning permission (agreed at the 27th July 2021 Planning Committee meeting) has been granted, the team have six weeks to lodge their request for a Judicial Review.
According to the Isle of Wight council’s planning portal, the decision notice has not yet been added to the application.
“The weight against the residents’ voice being heard was massive”
Campaigners say,
“The residents’ case and copies of the legal letters from residents’ legal team were blocked for circulation to residents and IW Council legal advice heavily emphasised that Judicial Review action by local residents’ was low risk and that the recommended option was to vote against recall and defend the 27th July decision. The weight against the residents’ voice being heard was massive.
“The residents’ wrote five times to IW Council with detailed letters outlining the 60 plus errors in the process leading up to and during the meeting of 27th July and subsequently after. None of these letters have ever been responded to in full.”
A “solid case”
With what’s claimed to be wealth of planning and legal evidence, the campaign team go on to say,
“The case is solid and the continuation of the IW Council’s block to residents’ voices provides evidence that the decision on the 27th July was wrong legally, ethically and morally.”
Farmers: Have no fight left
As reported by News OnTheWight in January, the tenant family at Westridge Farm, the Hollidays, said they ‘have no fight left’, are ‘broken and have simply had enough’.
They announced that they ‘have no fight left’ and have come to agreement with their landlord to, subject to planning permission being granted, vacate the farm later in the year
A landmark case
Campaigners claim this will be a landmark case for all planning applications on green fields/farmland on Isle of Wight and across the UK.
If you wish to add your support to the crowdfunding appeal, head over to the CrowdJustice Website.
Image: Tingey Injury Law Firm under CC BY 2.0
