Stadium moves closer as legal challenge rebuffed

The High Court has dismissed a request for a judicial review by campaigners opposed to Oxford United's proposal for a new 16,000-seater stadium.

The club's plans to build on land known as the Triangle, near Kidlington, were first approved by Cherwell District Council and then by the government last year.

They are opposed by campaign group Friends of Stratfield Brake (FoSB), which attempted to challenge their approval in the courts.

But at a permission hearing at the High Court on Thursday its request for a full judicial review was denied for the second time.

Responding to Thursday's judgement with a brief statement, Oxford United said the judge overseeing the hearing, Mr Justice Johnson, "concluded that the grounds of challenge were unarguable".

Campaigners now have seven days to refer the case to the Court of Appeal.

FoSB first lodged the legal complaint over the new stadium's potential impact on local wildlife, as well as aspects of the planned road closures, in April after launching a fundraiser to cover the legal costs.

That appeal failed and the group instead turned to a permission hearing, which took place at the Royal Courts of Justice on Thursday.

Ricardo Gama, from the law firm Leigh Day, which is representing FoSB, said the group was "disappointed" by the outcome.

"They believe that they have strong grounds of challenge," he said. "They're considering their options, including appeal."

He said it was "particularly concerning" the approach that Natural England took to the "substantial evidence" that Stratfield Brake was ancient woodland.

The initial decision by Cherwell District Council to grant the stadium planning permission had been delayed after nearby woodland was declared as ancient.

Natural England later reversed this view, saying the trees in question were not found on Oxfordshire maps it had studied from the 18th and 19th Centuries.

Paul Peros, from supporters group Ox Vox, said the High Court judgement was "massive".

"I've been confidently telling people for the last month that we'll sail through this, but I was overjoyed when I actually got the result," he said.

"It's really good it's affirmation that the procedure and the planning was correct."

Oxford United previously said the new stadium provided a "once-in-a-generation opportunity", and had suggested that its future could be in jeopardy were the new ground not to be built.

When the threat of legal action by FoSB was first raised earlier this year, a club spokesperson said: "A rigorous and detailed planning process was followed by Cherwell District Council, and we look forward to supporting them defend their decision."

That followed comments by chairman Grant Ferguson, who said: "We are pretty comfortable that we are ahead of the curve," in reference to a future court battle.