Repairs to go ahead despite legal battle

Selby District Council is stepping in to do the work following ongoing problems with underground electrical cables, despite an ongoing legal battle involving Samuel Smith Old Brewery, a major landowner in the town.

Councillors granted permission to make improvements to the car park in April last year, with plans to improve access and resurface the car park with Tarmacadam.

However, the brewery applied for a judicial review of the process to be done after claiming it did “not represent a reasonable use of public funds”.

That application was refused in September, but the brewery – which does not own the land on which the 146-space car park is built – won the right for a review on appeal earlier this month.

The council must now await the results of the review before the work can go ahead, however it has decided to take action over the lighting problems after concerns were raised by residents.

A council spokesman said: “The car park will be closed to carry out emergency repairs to the lighting, but because of the current legal action surrounding our plans for the car park we won’t be able to make the other improvements we think are necessary. We’re only able to make the minimum of repairs at this stage.”

The application for the work had also included planned alterations to improve entrances and exits to the site, as well as update drainage works.

Councillors have criticised the delay following the brewery’s decision to press ahead with the review and have expressed disappointment over having to go through a court process.

The authority claims that its decision-making is “robust” and it has followed all the necessary steps throughout the planning process.

The car park is due to reopen later this evening.