Arsenal beat court challenge to stadium plan

Arsenal have welcomed a Court of Appeal decision in favour of their multi-million pound plans for a new stadium, following a legal challenge by two local residents.

The residents had contested a decision by the High Court, which upheld the validity of the planning and listed building consents for Arsenal’s proposed new development at Ashburton Grove.

The Court of Appeal dismissed their application after an oral hearing today and the club believe that significant progress has been made.

Arsenal director Ken Friar said in a club statement: “We are pleased that this prolonged process of legal challenge has now come to an end.

“We were always confident that, as the planning application had been prepared very thoroughly and that the environmental statement was very comprehensive, the courts would find in our favour.

“It gives us great satisfaction that the matter has now been brought to a close.

“This means that we can now press ahead with implementation of this ambitious regeneration scheme, which is important not only to Arsenal but also to the local community, since it will drive regeneration of the Holloway and Highbury area, much of which has lain derelict for years.

“We are now in a position to concentrate all of our efforts into delivering the scheme. An important part of that is the compulsory purchase order inquiry, which is due to start in January.

“An enormous amount of work has been done over the last few months to successfully acquire sites and relocate businesses by negotiation.

“In the case of those remaining, we are confident that the Secretary of State will consider that compulsory acquisition is very necessary in the interests of enabling this hugely beneficial regeneration scheme to proceed.”