Save Warren Farm Campaign Plan To Go To Court Of Appeal

Launch crowdfunding campaign to raise money for legal costs

Warren Farm

Related Links

Court Rejects Latest Warren Farm Legal Challenge

D-Day For Footpath Application

Warren Farm is 'Our Land' Say Campaigners

QPR Scale Down Plans

No Judicial Review Of Warren Farm Decision

Warren Farm Battle Moves to High Court

The Warren Farm - QPR 'Giveaway'

Legal Challenge Over Warren Farm

Participate

Sign up for our Ealing newsletter

Comment on this story on the

The Save Warren Farm Campaign is looking to raise £25,000 to cover the costs of an appeal to the High Court to stop Queen’s Park Rangers plans to redevelop the site as a training ground.

In the ongoing dispute campaigners who believe the whole 61 acre site should remain available for community use have already had an application for a Judicial Review turned down. However, Save Warren Farm Campaign’s lawyers believe the decision by Mr Justice Dove in February was flawed and have advised appeal. Richard Buxton of Richard Buxton Environmental and Public Law, the Campaign’s solicitors, said, “The decision goes against established law and policy. Not only do we consider this case appealable, but if we do not appeal we have a precedent which weakens the protection for Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) and Green Belt nationally”.

He went on to say: “In a nutshell, there are two important issues at stake here, in relation to the ‘Very Special Circumstances’ which must be proved in order for MOL to be developed in this way. There are wide implications as I have said for MOL and Green Belt, but also for effective application of London’s development plan policy on which the future of Warren Farm and such open spaces elsewhere in London depends”.

The campaign aims to raise £25,000 via the CrowdJustice website. They previously raised over £20,000 for to fund the ultimately unsuccessful Judicial Review.

Alice Roberts of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (London) said: “There is no excuse for giving away a vast piece of public land at Warren Farm and excluding the community, for the benefit of a profit making company. London’s protected Open Land is there for Londoners and should not be given away by councils who are meant to be its guardians. London’s green spaces are under threat like never before and it is left to local groups to try to save them – so we urge people to make a donation to this appeal if they can.”

“Ealing leasing out Warren Farm in this way is totally unacceptable” said Malcolm Weller of the Save Warren Farm Campaign. “The 61 acre site should stay open to the community for future generations either as a community sports facility or as an environmental education centre. It is perfectly feasible to achieve this vision without giving the land away to a Football Club, owned by billionaires, for their own benefit.”

Ealing Council say QPR is investing millions of pounds into community facilities and a comprehensive community sports programme, which 'will significantly improve local people’s access to sport.'

Campaigners are now awaiting the outcome of the application to appeal.

June 20, 2017

Bookmark and Share