Arsenal stadium gets legal clearance

Arsenal Football Club’s plans for a new 60,000-seat stadium were given the legal all-clear today when a High Court judge rejected a challenge by local residents to planning permission granted by Islington Council.

The legal challenge was launched by two representative residents concerned about the environmental and social impact of the massive development.

Mr Justice Ouseley was asked to quash and declare unlawful planning permissions for the Ashburton Grove stadium plus 14-storey tower blocks, housing, restaurants, offices, a casino, redevelopment of the nearby existing Highbury Stadium and new road junctions for the 60-acre site.

At the start of an expected four-hour judgment, the judge said lawyers had subjected the council’s decision-making process to “a demanding legal audit”, but he had concluded that the challenge must fail.

“Most of the points raised are unarguable,” he said.