High Court encounter brewing as beer giant appeals over car park

Selby District Council was forced to suspend a development blueprint for the area up to 2026 after a planning inspector acknowledged concerns from Samuel Smith’s and others that the council expanding into green-belt land to meet housing targets, and excessive growth planned for Tadcaster, represented deficiencies in the plan. And now the authority’s leader has revealed it is at loggerheads again with the beer giant over the expansion of Tadcaster’s central area car park.

Planning permission for these improvements was granted in April, but the brewery applied for a judicial review of the process, which was refused in September.

However, council leader Coun Mark Crane said this week that the brewery has since lodged an appeal, and the proposed redevelopment will now await a High Court decision in the new year.

“Yet again we’ve found our plans, developed with the best intentions for the people and businesses of Tadcaster, have had to be put on hold,” he said.

“We’d like to work alongside the brewery, a significant landowner in the area, to redevelop Tadcaster and support the town to prosper.

“But it is difficult to match the needs of local residents and businesses with the expectations of the brewery.

“We’ll continue to do all we can to push through the improvements that are so badly needed.”

Samuel Smith’s was unavailable for comment.