York Community Stadium ‘to go ahead’ after legal challenge fails

At the heart of the legal wrangle – the cinema complex at the planned stadium
18 Jan 2017 @ 5.16 pm
| News, Sport

York’s leaders have restated their commitment to building the Community Stadium after a judge threw out a legal challenge.

Cinema chain Vue took City of York Council to court over the plans for a rival multiplex at the Monks Cross site.

The planning permission granted by the council was for a 12-screen cinema. When the developer asked to amend that to 13 screens, planners agreed.

Vue argued at a Judicial Review in the High Court in London that this change should have required a brand new planning application.

But on Wednesday (January 18) a judge ruled against them and in favour of the council.

‘Great step forward’

Due to open next year: the York Community Stadium

In response to the decision the council said the stadium complex would go ahead – but there may be further delays.

It is in talks with the consortium, led by leisure operator GLL, that is tasked with delivering the York Community Stadium.

A City of York Council spokeswoman said:

We welcome today’s court decision, which dismissed the judicial review. The judge found the decision making process of the planning authority to be correct.

We remain firmly committed to the delivery of this project.

We are reviewing the plan for the next stage with the GLL consortium and an update will be made to councillors in due course.

This is a great step forward, but we will need to assess its impact on the timescales for the delivery of the project.

This will be reviewed and the detail of the judgement considered before any further announcements are made.”

YCFC ‘delighted’

For its part, York City FC, which is due to quit Bootham Crescent to move to the 8,000-seater stadium, was clearly relieved.

A club spokesman said:

York City Football Club are delighted to hear the outcome of today’s judicial review.

We now look forward to the project gaining much-needed momentum and to the completion of the stadium in summer 2018.

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