Judge rejects challenge to decision by council to sell cattle market site

A judge has refused to grant a campaign group permission to bring a judicial review challenge over a district council’s decision to sell a cattle market to a supermarket chain.

The ‘Justice for Shaftesbury’ group had sought to challenge the process carried out by North Dorset District Council for the sale of Shaftesbury Cattle Market.

Councillors agreed in April this year to the sale of the site, which the local authority says has seen a decline in recent years.

Judge Anthony Elleray refused permission for a judicial review, saying that he had not found an arguable case.

Cllr Michael Roake, North Dorset’s Cabinet Member for Environment said: “I am pleased with this positive outcome. A judicial review risked being a costly distraction and this judgment confirms our belief that the argument proposed by ‘Justice for Shaftesbury’ had no merit.

“A new supermarket for the town will attract more visitors to Shaftesbury, boosting the economy and creating more jobs. We’ve continued to process the sale of the site and are hopeful of completing this in the near future.”

In August Shaftesbury Town Council rejected the outcome of a parish poll that would have seen it take legal action over the proposed sale of the market. Justice for Shaftesbury won by 623 votes to 380 on a 15.67% turnout.

However, the town council refused to adhere to this outcome because Justice for Shaftesbury had already applied for a judicial review and named it as the second defendant alongside North Dorset.