A statement from South Oxfordshire District Council

The Honourable Mrs Justice Lang has refused the oral plea from Bioabundance CIC for permission to proceed with an application for judicial review against the Council’s decision to adopt the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2035. Mrs Justice Lang also agreed a costs award up to the maximum capped limit of £10,000, which covers the Council’s full costs of £8,266. The remainder was awarded to other interested parties.

Today’s judgment supports the previous decision on the papers by The Honourable Mr Justice Dove on 30 March that also found that the initial application by Bioabundance CIC for judicial review should not progress.

Although Bioabundance may seek to take today’s High Court judgement to the Court of Appeal, the Council remains confident it worked within the law to produce and adopt its Local Plan 2035. The adopted Local Plan 2035 continues to have full weight in any planning decision made and remains the adopted policy of the Council.

The Council will not be commenting further.