Breakthrough in brick wall saga

Published 4 Mar 2010 16:00 0 Comments

A SOLICITOR'S battle to prevent the destruction of picturesque views has moved a step closer.

Abigail Lewis was granted permission to challenge Bracknell Forest Council's approval for a wealthy member of the Abu Dhabi ruling family, to build a two-metre high brick wall around his estate,

The 32-year-old, who lives in Winkfield, believes Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan's plans to build the wall around the 400 acre estate at Ascot Place should be blocked and the council should never have approved them.

Speaking outside the High Court after the ruling, Miss Lewis, whose house backs onto the estate, said she was "very pleased" with the decision.

She said: "There is a genuine concern in the village that the wall would be so vast.

"The estate is lovely and, as you are driving along the roads next to it, you can see swathes of valleys.

"Instead of seeing that, if the scheme goes ahead, you will just see a brick wall."

Mr Justice Irwin, sitting at London's High Court on Wednesday last week, said Miss Lewis' argument that the proposed wall would be too near to listed buildings was "just arguable", and granted her permission to take her case to a full judicial review hearing. The court heard Miss Lewis first knew the council had granted a certificate of proposed lawful development to Donford Ltd, the company behind the scheme, in May 2009.

Approval for the four-mile long wall has granted by Bracknell Forest Council in January last year.

Mr Justice Irwin said the scheme was not subject to normal planning application notifications as it was not for planning consent which was why residents of Winkfield and Cranbourne were not informed of the plans.

He acknowledged that plans for a "structure of this size" could have a "really major impact on the environment of those who live in such a place as this". Lawyers representing Bracknell Forest Council argued that Miss Lewis had left it too late to bring her application and the proposed wall was a lawful development.

Cllr Mary Ballin, executive member for planning and transport, said that residents have every right to protect the village they live in.

The Winkfield and Cranbourne ward councillor added: "A decision must now be made by the council, but my initial reaction is that, at a time when we are having to make huge savings in council spending, it would be wrong to spend large sums on legal action."

No date has been set for the full hearing of the challenge.

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