Lichfield District Council must wait to hear whether they have succeeded in fending off a developer’s accusations that they acted unreasonably in a property deal.
The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment on a challenge by Lichfield Securities Ltd to a May 2000 High Court ruling, by Turner J, that cleared the council of unreasonableness in handling agreements for the provision of infrastructure at Fradley Airfield.
Lichfield Securities, which is developing part of the site, claims that the council did not consult it sufficiently before making an agreement with another developer, French supermarket company Soleco, and Soleco’s landlord Christopher Williams about the funding of highway improvements at the airfield.
Judgment is expected in February, although no date has yet been fixed.
R v Lichfield District Council, ex parte Lichfield Securities Ltd Court of Appeal (Potter, Sedley and Jonathan Parker LJJ) 25 January 2001
PLS News 31/1/01
