The High Court has refused the application by ABP seeking a judicial review of the Government’s decision Secretary of State for Transport to grant a Development Control Order for the AMEP project.
In her decision Mrs Justice Patterson found against ABP on all the grounds it put forward in applying for Judicial Review, describing their claim as “unarguable.”
Peter Stephenson, Able’s Executive Chairman , commented:
“Their claims surrounding the so-called Killingholme Triangle…the small area of land which is needed for AMEP…have now been rejected by the hugely detailed and lengthy planning process, overseen by senior planning inspectors, a Government Minister, a Joint Parliamentary Committee—and now by the High Court.’
“Every other interest on the Humber—including the Local Enterprise Partnership, the local business community, local authorities, local Members of Parliament and their constituents—have looked on in despair as time after time a development of such importance to the area has been delayed and put in jeopardy by the actions of a single company.
“ABP can now seek to challenge Mrs Justice Patterson’s comprehensive rejection of their arguments through an oral hearing but that would once again delay AMEP and yet again highlight that ABP are more concerned with defending their near monopoly position on the Humber against the interests of the whole region and the UK for that matter.”
On the other hand, ABP expressed disappointment by saying they will “carefully consider the reasons given before commenting further.”
According to the developer, the GBP 450-million project is set to create over 4,000 direct jobs and cover an area of around 900 acres.