Council welcomes the end of the Judicial Review over Ashton Vale Village Green Status as ‘victory for common sense’

Councillor Simon Cook, Deputy Leader of Bristol City Council, and Executive Member for Sport and Culture has welcomed the news that the sole unnamed local person has discontinued his application to the High Court for a Judicial Review of the Council’s decision over an earlier Town and Village Green application for land in Ashton Vale. 

The Council welcomes the end to this protracted litigation and looks forward to working with the local community to ensure the development of the northern part of the Ashton Vale site whilst providing open space for recreational use for local residents.

The council is keen to reassure residents that the strip of land running north-south and roughly parallel to Silbury Road is the subject of a condition attached to the consent for the stadium requiring it to be planted out and landscaped and held as public open space once the stadium development is completed.

Councillor Cook, who played no role in either the earlier Committee meetings considering either planning applications or the Town and Village Green application, but who is responsible for promoting sport in Bristol said:

“This is a win for local people, who will have 20 acres of open space on their doorstep protected in perpetuity.  It is a win for the club, who can press on with the development of their new stadium.  It is a win for the people of Bristol, who will see an excellent new facility, and many new jobs created.  Most of all though, this is a victory for common sense.  Some people lately have been saying that the Council does not care about the future of sport in the city.  They simply could not be more wrong, as I am ‘over the moon’ at this news.”

Councillor Peter Abraham, who chaired the cross-party committee whose decision was until now being challenged in the Courts today commented:

“Our cross-party Committee last year considered all the facts extremely carefully in this complex matter, taking all proper professional and legal advice.  We were therefore disappointed when a local person applied to the High Court to challenge our decision.  I am therefore pleased today that the extensive legal costs that the taxpayer has been running up defending our properly taken decision are now coming to an end.”