22.03.13
Anti-HS2 councils will appeal judicial review decision
Councils whose legal bid to quash HS2 failed last week are to appeal against parts of the judge’s ruling.
Mr Justice Ouseley rejected nine of the ten grounds for judicial review brought by the coalition of campaigners and local authorities.
But Cllr Martin Tett, chairman of the 51m alliance and leader of Buckinghamshire County Council said: “We find the court’s reasoning for not supporting our case against the failure to properly consult on the principle of the scheme totally bizarre. The Government has argued, and the judge accepted, that the Government hasn’t made any decision yet on HS2 – not only on the northern ‘Y’ route but that it hasn’t even taken a decision to proceed with the London to Birmingham section! For all who watched the prime minister, deputy prime minister and other members of the cabinet announcing the routes to Manchester and Leeds only a few weeks ago this must feel like some kind of ‘parallel universe’! We will obviously appeal this decision as it defies common sense.”
Camden Council leader Sarah Hayward said it would join the appeal. She said after the announcement: “We are disappointed with this judgement and will continue to fight this fundamentally flawed scheme. We feel a poor decision has been made, which fails to fully grapple with our case or the parliamentary process and demonstrates a misinterpretation of the law.”
The only complaint upheld by the judge, brought by the HS2 Action Alliance, concerned the way the the property compensation consultation was run, but it is simply being re-run by the DfT so is unlikely to delay the construction of HS2.
The DfT has said it will seek to recoup legal costs from the claimants.
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