Warren Farm Battle Goes Back To High Court
Campaigners hope to stop green belt land being leased to QPR for training academy
There's to be a Judicial Review of Ealing Council’s decision to allow QPR Football Club to redevelop Warren Farm School Sports Centre, in Southall.
Campaigners have argued that the scheme would be using Metropolitan Open Land (MOL – London’s Green Belt) for QPR’s new Training and Academy HQ and say it would remove public access to the majority of the site.
Mr Justice Ouseley agreed with Marc Willers QC, acting on behalf of Save Warren Farm campaigners who argued that the Council failed to take into account other harms to the MOL when considering the 'very special circumstances’ necessary to justify the loss of open land for development.
Solicitor Richard Buxton said : ''This case is highly significant because we are increasingly seeing Councils allowing encroachment on publicly held land to benefit commercial enterprise.''
Alice Roberts of Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) London said: ''This is great news for the objectors who have pointed out these community sports fields are a public asset, 61 acres of green, open space in the midst of London’s suburbs, which should continue to be available for public benefit.''
This latest stage is part of a four year battle to save Warren Farm from development and is being supported by a crowdfunding appeal.
Malcolm Weller, of the Save Warren Farm Campaign said: "We are so grateful to all those who are donating to save Warren Farm so the land can continue to be used for sporting activities by local people. We are relying on the continuing generosity of donors for the next big push to take our case to Judicial Review and protect our Metropolitan Open Land from this harmful and exclusive commercial development.”
The Judicial Review will be heard in the New Year, campaigners hope it will lead to the High Court quashing planning permission.
An Ealing spokesperson said: “We are disappointed with today’s decision but are confident that we made a sound decision. We remain firmly committed to the delivery of this project, which will see an investment of millions of pounds in new public facilities and a comprehensive community sports programme”
22nd November 2016 (updated)