Telford & Wrekin Council's Newport Morrisons store fight branded a lost cause
Campaigners this afternoon criticised Telford & Wrekin Council chiefs for fighting a "lost cause" over plans to build a Morrisons supermarket in Newport.
David Tringham, who owns the site earmarked for the supermarket off Audley Avenue, said he believed the council was wasting its time and taxpayers' money by appealing against a decision to allow the supermarket to be built.
And members of the Save Newport Campaign Group said they were "disappointed" with the council's actions.
The authority has decided to appeal against a High Court decision to allow the supermarket to be built. It owns a greenfield site at Station Road and stands to net £21 million in land sales if a planning inspector rules that a Sainsbury's supermarket can be built there.
If the appeal does go ahead, it is likely to cost about £50,000. Experts have claimed there is not the demand in Newport for both stores.
Mr Tringham said any appeal would be a "waste of time" as a judge was unlikely to overturn the decision of the High Court.
He said: "It's a lost cause after the High Court judge decision. I don't think we'll waste our money being represented at any appeal because it's simply not going to work."
David Parker, spokesman for the Save Newport Campaign Group, said: "We're disappointed that this decision has been made to spend more taxpayers' money on what now is the very expensive part of the process in the Court of Appeal."
But council leader Councillor Kuldip Singh Sahota said it must protect public assets.
"My officers and I are acting on legal advice," he said.
"We are listening and following that advice closely. One of our remits is to maximise the assets for the taxpayers of Telford & Wrekin.
"That £21 million is an asset to the taxpayer and we are there to do our best."
Council spokesman Nigel Newman said there was a chance the courts could reject the council's appeal attempts.
He said: "We are doing this because the council must seek to protect the public purse to secure what we believe are legitimate planning requirements to fund transport infrastructure to offset the impact of the proposed development.
"At this stage, the council is seeking leave to appeal only. It only becomes an appeal when the Court of Appeal decides to permit the appeal."
