Mohamed Al Fayed has lost his High Court battle to prevent a 22m-high mast from being erected near his Surrey estate. As a result, he faces a legal bill estimated at £50,000.
The court dismissed the Harrods boss’ application for judicial review of a decision to grant planning consent to Mercury Personal Communications for the mobile-phone mast.
Al Fayed argued that Tandridge council had failed to take into account possible health risks posed by the mast when granting the consent in July 1998.
But today Mr Justice Carnwath said that, although the the councils decision-making process had been “flawed”, planning consent would still have been granted even if the matter had been approached differently.
The judge said research showed that the levels of radiation coming from the mast and reaching Al Fayeds home would still be less than those reaching people living near the Crystal Palace radio mast in London.
In addition to facing a substantial bill from his own lawyers, Al Fayed was ordered to pay half of Mercury’s costs and all the costs of Tandridge Council.
Leave to appeal was refused. But it is still open to Al Fayed to apply direct to the Court of Appeal for leave to do so.
EGi News 15/01/99
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