Council welcomes High Court's ruling on trees

BUT IT WILL NOW UNDERGO AN 'INDEPENDENT LEARNING REVIEW' INTO ITS ACTIONS

- WILLIAM TELFORD

PLYMOUTH City Council has welcomed the High Court's decision to throw out a legal challenge about the Armada Way tree-felling - but will now face an independent review into its actions.

On Wednesday, a judge dismissed the judicial review brought by action group Save the Trees of Armada Way (Straw) into whether the trees were chopped down unlawfully.

The council, and its former leader, Cllr Richard Bingley, welcomed the ruling and said it can get on with a £37 million revamp of Armada Way, but the authority agreed with Judge David Elvin KC that it needs to learn from its actions last year, and told the court it will carry out 'an independent learning review' into its 'internal processes' as soon as possible.

Straw said it was "deeply disappointed" by the ruling and stood by its decision to take the council to court. It claimed that seeking the judicial review saved the remaining trees in Armada Way and pointed out it had been awarded costs and would not have to pay the council's legal bill.