Council 'fighting losing battle' opposing Morrisons store in Newport
Campaigners today accused Telford & Wrekin Council of "fighting a losing battle" after the authority was granted permission to appeal against a Morrisons supermarket in Newport for a second time, at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds.
The council filed papers to the Court of Appeal to try to overrule a decision by a judge to allow the supermarket to be built on brownfield land at Audley Avenue.
And the council has now been told the appeal can go ahead, most likely next year.
The council has previously said the latest appeal will cost about £50,000.
It has already budgeted £1.5 million on legal fees over three supermarket applications in the town.
But councillors and members of the Save Newport Campaign Group would rather see the Morrisons built than a larger Sainsbury's on greenfield land owned by Telford & Wrekin in Station Road.
Today Councillor Andrew Eade, the leader of the local Conservative group, said: "I think it's very disappointing that this issue is being dragged through the courts at a continuing cost to the taxpayer.
"This certainly cannot go on. It's no longer in the public interest.
"The council has to face up to the fact that their case is very, very poor. They are fighting a losing battle."
The Morrisons store was first given the go-ahead by the Planning Inspectorate.
That was then challenged in court by the council and developers St Modwen, but that first appeal was thrown out by Mr Justice Turner in June.
The council will now try to argue its case for a second time.
Officials at the council say the decision was made as the authority does not believe the Morrisons developers are contributing enough towards road improvements in the area. The council favours a Sainsbury's on land it owns in Station Road, a scheme which has been widely criticised by residents and business leaders.
The authority stands to gain about £21m in land sales if the Sainsbury's goes ahead. A public inquiry on that proposal is due to start in January.
