The Seagulls Party
New member
15 August 2006 -
The Seagulls Party have challenged David Neighbour, Lewes District Council's Lead Councillor for Planning to resign if the costs of his council’s High Court action against the proposed community stadium at Falmer rise above £65,000. Mr Neighbour, who took over the role as lead councillor in July, has issued a series of public statements defending his council’s legal challenge despite the likelihood of them becoming liable to pay all the defendants’ costs.
As a result, Adrian Newnham, Deputy Leader of the Seagulls Party has now laid down the following challenge:
'Mr Neighbour's predecessor (Neil Commin) offered to resign if costs exceeded £65,000. Mr Commin has since stood down and so we are challenging Mr Neighbour to make the same commitment. The bottom line is that he cannot guarantee that they will not become liable to pay all the defendents’ costs and no amount of bluff or bluster can hide this fact'. Mr Newnham added: "The only power the Court has is to quash the decision and to refer it back to the Secretary of State for further consideration. The government lawyers have already offered to do this without the need for a court hearing. But Lewes District Council have refused to allow that to happen even though they have also received an offer to ensure that Ruth Kelly takes account of all 16 points the council wish to have reconsidered. Their insistence in taking the matter to court is a delaying tactic and the council are playing a dangerous game with local council tax payers’ money”.
There is also some confusion within Lewes District Council over how they will construct their case. Mr Newnham highlighted: ‘Within their submissions, LDC says that John Prescott misinterpreted his own planning policies on AONB land. But at the second Inquiry Lewes actively promoted Toads Hole Valley as an alternative site which is also in the AONB. Yet they object to a stadium plan that is using a significant proportion of brown space whilst offering wholly greenfield sites - including one in an AONB - as an alternative. So it seems that Mr Neighbour is quite happy for the stadium to be built in an AONB so long as it is not one that is close to Lewes. This is pure hypocrisy. They are risking hundreds of thousands of pounds on a court case for which they are totally incapable of putting together a cohesive argument.'
He concluded: "David Neighbour is quick to come out fighting when his council is questio ned over their unpopular decision to pursue this High Court action. However in his haste to make snappy soundbites, he appears to have totally confused himself."
The Seagulls Party have challenged David Neighbour, Lewes District Council's Lead Councillor for Planning to resign if the costs of his council’s High Court action against the proposed community stadium at Falmer rise above £65,000. Mr Neighbour, who took over the role as lead councillor in July, has issued a series of public statements defending his council’s legal challenge despite the likelihood of them becoming liable to pay all the defendants’ costs.
As a result, Adrian Newnham, Deputy Leader of the Seagulls Party has now laid down the following challenge:
'Mr Neighbour's predecessor (Neil Commin) offered to resign if costs exceeded £65,000. Mr Commin has since stood down and so we are challenging Mr Neighbour to make the same commitment. The bottom line is that he cannot guarantee that they will not become liable to pay all the defendents’ costs and no amount of bluff or bluster can hide this fact'. Mr Newnham added: "The only power the Court has is to quash the decision and to refer it back to the Secretary of State for further consideration. The government lawyers have already offered to do this without the need for a court hearing. But Lewes District Council have refused to allow that to happen even though they have also received an offer to ensure that Ruth Kelly takes account of all 16 points the council wish to have reconsidered. Their insistence in taking the matter to court is a delaying tactic and the council are playing a dangerous game with local council tax payers’ money”.
There is also some confusion within Lewes District Council over how they will construct their case. Mr Newnham highlighted: ‘Within their submissions, LDC says that John Prescott misinterpreted his own planning policies on AONB land. But at the second Inquiry Lewes actively promoted Toads Hole Valley as an alternative site which is also in the AONB. Yet they object to a stadium plan that is using a significant proportion of brown space whilst offering wholly greenfield sites - including one in an AONB - as an alternative. So it seems that Mr Neighbour is quite happy for the stadium to be built in an AONB so long as it is not one that is close to Lewes. This is pure hypocrisy. They are risking hundreds of thousands of pounds on a court case for which they are totally incapable of putting together a cohesive argument.'
He concluded: "David Neighbour is quick to come out fighting when his council is questio ned over their unpopular decision to pursue this High Court action. However in his haste to make snappy soundbites, he appears to have totally confused himself."
