Court date set for billionaire’s bid to overturn Sutherland spaceport plans

LAWYERS acting for the Danish billionaire owner of Topshop have been given a date for their bid to overturn a decision giving the go-ahead for the UK’S first spaceport.

Anders Holch Povlsen, 48, wants a Court of Session judge to stop the construction of the proposed Sutherland Space Hub, the UK’S first vertical launch facility. His legal team has launched judical review proceedings at Scotland’s highest civil court asking a judge to consider a decision made by Highland Council in August 2020.

A procedural hearing in the matter was scheduled to take place yesterday at the court.

However, the proceedings were cancelled after lawyers for Mr Povlsen’s company Wildland Limited and Highland Council told officials they were ready to proceed to the full hearing.

Mr Povlsen is Scotland’s largest private landowner. He owns the clothing empire Bestseller and is believed to have a net worth of more than £6 billion.

Experts say he owns more of the UK than the Queen and the Church of Scotland combined.

Mr Povlsen is the largest shareholder in online fashion retailer Asos. In February 2021, the company bought Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia retail empire – which included Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge – in a deal thought to be worth £330 million.

The businessman objected to the development in Sutherland on environmental grounds and later announced that he had invested more than £1.4 million in a rival spaceport on Shetland. His company Wildland Limited lodged a petition for a judicial review against Highland council’s decision to approve the scheme.

The Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) project at A’mhòine, near Tongue, in Sutherland, is expected to create more than 200 jobs.

A three-day hearing is scheduled to take place from June 8.