Council 'failed to follow guidance' by snubbing campaigners in £550,000 Shrewsbury land row
An independent inquiry into a controversial £550,000 land sale has found a council failed to follow legal guidance and declined to meet campaigners.
A row has been brewing for several years over the sale of part of Greenfields Recreation Ground in Shrewsbury, which CSE Developments bought to build 15 homes.
Michael Redfern QC was commissioned to carry out an inquiry into the transaction. His 160-page report has now been published.
Campaigners from the Greenfields Community Group argued that planning permission granted by Shropshire Council for the homes should have been revoked, after it was proved the land was held in trust for community use. The issue sparked outcry among Greenfields residents, 300 of whom joined together to launch a campaign group to fight off the scheme.
And Shrewsbury Town Council, which sold the land, has previously been criticised for "serious governance failings" over the issue.
Mr Redfern's report said in the terms of reference section: "Did Shrewsbury Town Council take all reasonable steps to ensure the sale of the land was carried out in accordance with relevant legal requirements? The simple answer is no. It was mandatory to advertise the intention to sell and field objections."
It also said that had the council and campaigners known the history and legal status prior to it sale, the forceful representations made by more than 300 residents objecting to the loss of land, the dispute may have been resolved in favour of Greenfields Community Group.
The report stated that Shrewsbury Town Council "failed to comply with the requirements of their various relevant published codified policies and procedures for proper governance", and added that the council declined to attend any meetings offered to them by the campaigners.
The case will be heard at the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, and has been backed by The Good Law Project. The case has already been subject to Judicial Review in 2019 and heard at the Court of Appeal in 2020.
The controversy will be discussed at a Shrewsbury Town Council meeting next Wednesday evening.
To read the full report by Michael Redfern QC visit shrewsburytowncouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/Greenfields-Recreation-Ground-Inquiry-May-2022.pdf
