Campaigners launch second legal challenge over QPR academy project

Campaigners are seeking to crowd fund a second judicial review challenge over the redevelopment by Queen’s Park Rangers football club of a community sports ground for its training academy.

In May 2014 the London Borough of Ealing successfully defended in the High Court its decision to grant a 200-year lease of the Warren Farm sports ground to the football club, with Mr Justice Ouseley ruling that the local authority had not acted unlawfully.

The Save Warren Farm campaign is now seeking to challenge Ealing’s approval of a second planning application for the site and its land fill scheme. Through Crowd Justice, the group has so far raised £4,635 from 95 supporters towards its £15,000 target.

These funds are to cover preparatory work, letters before action, legal counsel and court fees in association with a renewal hearing.

The group has also set a stretch target of £35,000 for preparation, briefing, expert witness fees and attendance at an oral hearing of the judicial review.

Malcolm Weller of the Save Warren Farm Campaign said: “We are confident that we can raise this money through the power of local people and crowdfunding, and have already briefed our legal team to initiate proceedings.

“Working together, we have stopped this for four years, thanks to people who have already donated to this cause. Ealing is wrong to give away public land for private gain, and we are taking them to judicial review to prove this.”

DH Law’s Rheian Davies, the campaign’s solicitor, said: “It is shocking that this public land has been given away so cheaply and with so little legal protection for the community.”