Legal bid to block car park plans for riverside meadows

Campaigners to take battle to High Court

Environmental campaigners are mounting a legal challenge in a bid to stop the planned extension of the Wincheap park and ride site by the city council. The countryside charity CPRE Kent is calling for a judicial review of the decision and the Save Wincheap Water Meadows group has now launched a fighting fund to support the action. A Crowdjustice page set up to raise £5,000 for the initial phase of the application to the High Court has already received almost £3,000 in donations. Campaigner Sian Pettman says the legal challenge will rest on three claims - the council’s failure to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment, legal errors in the Habitats Regulation Assessment, and misleading information that the site had been ‘allocated’ in the Local Plan and would not have a harmful effect on the landscape. “We are working together with CPRE Kent and have pledged to raise £5,000 to help fund the initial phase of their legal challenge,”she said.

At the weekend, busking musicians help spread the campaign’s message in the city centre and raised £200. Campaigners also handed out 700 leaflets, and a further 1,000 window posters have been distributed to raise awareness of the issue. CPRE Kent director Dr Hilary Newport says the countryside charity will appoint and instruct a legal team and predicts the costs could run up to £40,000, “It’s a big deal for a small charity like us but we are absolutely committed to taking it on because of the threat to this environment and the designated

Stour Valley green corridor,” she said.

Although already granted planning permission, the final decision to proceed with the development, rests with the full council and could be considered on Wednesday, January 8. Council spokesman Leo Whitlock said: “The decision on whether to go ahead with the Wincheap park and ride extension will be taken by full council early next year.

“We always made it clear gaining planning permission and deciding to whether to proceed with the scheme were separate issues. A judicial review of the decision taken by the Planning Committee has been launched ahead of Full Council’s deliberations and we are in the process of putting together a robust response.” n Email us at kentishgazette@ thekmgroup.co.uk.

Wind in the Willows-inspired protesters gathered at the site to oppose the plans