Council fights of local plan legal challenge

Developers with interests in building on land west of Stevenage have lost their legal challenge against North Herts District Council's decision to withdraw its draft local plan #3.

The District Council withdrew the draft plan in December 2000. In February, Persimmon Homes, Taywood Homes, Bryant Homes and Garden Villages Partnership claimed that the District Council had no powers to withdraw the plan.

The Council was joined by the Government's treasury solicitor to defend the challenge recently before Mr Justice Collins at the High Court in London. On Friday July 20th he announced that the claim had failed.

Council leader FJ Smith responded to the decision saying "I am very relieved by the decision. We have taken great pains and incurred costs to make sure that the Council acts responsibly.

The High Court's ruling vindicates our actions. Councilors and Officers will be continuing with the work needed to produce a revised Local Plan #3. It will take time for the consultants work on finding housing sites and to prepare the revised plan, but we are determined to product a high quality policy document to guide land use development and protect the environment in North Hertfordshire."

20th July 2001