DISAPPOINTED campaigners are looking at “other avenues” after a High Court judge threw out their legal fight.

High Court Judge Sir Ross Cranston refused the Maidenhead Great Park’s request for an extension of time to legally challenge the adopted borough local plan (BLP), which earmarks multiple sites for thousands of homes to meet the Royal Borough’s future population and economic growth.

A renewal hearing took place at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Wednesday, November 16, to decide if the group can be given more time to present its case after a former solicitor made a ‘procedural error’ by not serving the papers within the six-week timeframe.

The group wanted to overturn the BLP in a bid to stop the 2,000 homes development at the 132-acre Maidenhead golf course, which it says will “destroy” the town’s environment during a climate crisis.

Slough Observer:

Campaigners challenged the BLP on the grounds of flooding risks to residents at Strande Park, Cookham, loss of sporting facilities at the golf course, and the BLP not being considered by cabinet before it went to full council for adoption in February 2022.

The council said it “remained confident” that due process was followed.

Sir Ross Cranston said at the hearing that the legal merits of the group’s claims were not arguable and the lateness of serving the papers on time was too serious of an error.

Tina Quadrino, chairwoman of the Maidenhead Great Park campaign group, said it was “disappointed” in the judgement but pledged the group will explore “other avenues” to continue the challenge against the “environmentally damaging” BLP.

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One of these options could be to appeal the decision within the seven-day window of the decision.

Ms Quadrino said: “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.”

A council spokesperson said: “The BLP was adopted at full council in February 2022, after being shaped through a rigorous examination process. There was then a legal six-week period in which to challenge adoption, however, the claimant’s then legal representative failed to correctly serve their claim on the council in this window.

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“In July 2022, a High Court judge refused the claimant’s request for an extension of time; this position has been confirmed by a different High Court judge this week at a renewal hearing.

“At the renewal hearing, the High Court also considered the claimant’s substantive grounds for planning statutory review and confirmed that the Legal Merits of the claim were not arguable.

“The council has cooperated fully throughout this legal process and has remained confident that due process was followed in making the plan.”