The Ashton Vale village green area marked, top, and Bristol City FC's Ashton gate stadium
Supporters of a judicial review into the Ashton Vale town green decision have confirmed they have not given up their legal fight.
However, there is still a huge gulf between them and Bristol City Council over the current legal position, after the deputy leader of the council said earlier today that the judicial review application been dropped and the original decision to split the site would be enforced.
Speaking to Bristol24-7 this afternoon, spokesman for the campaigners Peter Crispin said the original applicant HAD withdrawn himself from the fight, but did NOT want the application dropped.
Just minutes after he spoke to us, Bristol City Council released a letter sent to the Royal Courts of Justice apparently from the applicant to say that he was happy for the procedure to end.
The unnamed applicant finished the letter saying: “I would like to express to the courts that my claim withdrawal is a result of wanting to see this city going forward, providing young people with employment opportunities for the greater good of many. I humbly withdraw my claim.”
Read the letter to the Royal Courts of Justice
But former Labour Party councillor Peter Crispin insisted that the applicant was an elderly man who had been intimidated since his name had been leaked to the public and that because of this, and his failing health, he wanted someone else to take on his role in the legal process.
“It appears that our person has resigned and the council have taken that as read that it is the end of it,” he said.
“But we have another candidate lined up to replace the original person. The legal team set the appropriate measures in place to allow that to happen.
“We haven’t dropped the judicial review bid, all that has happened is that a poor, elderly gentleman was put in a position where he felt he couldn’t carry on.”
The campaigners are now waiting to see if a judge accepts their legal arguments to allow the bid to continue, leading Mr Crisping to add: “The council have jumped the gun because it suits them to. The bid would only cease if our legal team say they can’t take it any further, and they have not said that.”
Adrienne Copithorne, the lawyer acting for the protesters, told the BBC earlier: “An individual purporting to act on behalf of the claimant served a notice discontinuing the claim on the council last week. But in our view the notices are invalid and do not reflect the instructions of the claimant.”
She added that the anonymous claimant “doesn’t recall signing any kind of document” but added they would now apply for a second person to be a claimant.
Earlier, a Bristol City Council spokesman attempted to clarify the situation. In a statement he wrote: “It is our understanding from the advice that we’ve received from our legal representatives that this is now the end of the matter.
“The sole named applicant has discontinued the application to the High Court, and that this now marks the end of the litigation.”
The row was sparked earlier today when Cllr Simon Cook released a statement hailing the end of the legal battle over the decision by councillors to split the Ashton Vale site, describing it as a “victory for local people… the club [Bristol City FC]… the people of Bristol… and most of all though, for common sense”.
The decision to split the site, made last summer, allowed for the creation of a town green in the southern area of the site while leaving Bristol City FC free to build their new stadium in the northern half – a stadium for which they were granted planning permission in 2009.
Rob, Why would crispin lie??? REALLY????? Tell me you aren't THAT naive???!!!! Crispin and his cronies will stoop to any level to achieve what they set out to. As mentioned by some here and MANY elsewhere, all this talk of intimidation, not one shred of evidence, not one complaint to the police. Lies, lies and more damn lies!
The only thuggish behaviour during the whole matter was to be seen at the courthouse, when we saw the NIMBYS jostling and heckling, not to mention the comments toward Dollymarie, or cars in Silsbury road being keyed on matchdays.
All this talk of harassment, so why havent the police been involved. Put up or shut up.
What sort of person thinks its acceptable to appoint or allow an ill, elderly person to front the entire application for JR in the first place? That in itself is a disgrace and tells you all you need to know about the type of people that are trying to block this stadium and the motives behind the TVG.
Guess what…. The Town Green lot don't believe the letter!
To quote Cilla Black – Surprise surprise!!
@Rob
Where is the evidence of the intimidation/harassment to this unnamed and completely annoymous gentleman or in fact the claims of other AV residents?, have they reported it to the police?, not looking at the police recorded crime website they haven't.
Don't go around saying things without evidence.
Why would crisping lie?
The reputation that bristol city fans are as a rule, thugs. I have witnessed it myself more than once.
Never has been any intimidation, just a myth bandied about by certain people to bolster their claim. The letter from the applicant clearly states the reasons he has withdrawn and any claim by Crispin and his cronies are just desperation and falsehoods.
Do you not find his reference to "employment opportunities" a bit iffy. Like the letter was written for him by another ?
Rob, where in the gentleman’s letter does it state he has been intimidated into withdrawing the JR application? Surely if he wished to claim he was intimidated he would state that officially?
Unfortunately for the protesters, they have been outfoxed and any claim from the increasingly desperate Peter Crispin that the fight goes on looks farcical from this point on.
Can anybody tell me how it is possible to initimidate somebody when their name is unknown ?__Clutching at straws again Crispin, plus more lies.
What reputations that then Rob? Are you calling the old guy a liar and taking the word of Crispin at face value. Fact is there’s been no intimidation, of there was it’d be plastered all over the place by the NIMBYs.
Nice to see City fans living up to the reputation they have. Intimidation an ill elderly person to get what they want. Then lying about it.