Brentwood Council heads to court over town centre Public Right of Way

Chelmsford Magistrates Court will see Brentwood Council defend their application to close a walkway from the town centre into North Road Avenue tomorrow after three objections were received against it.

Cllr Philip Mynott, one of the objectors, will attend court and give evidence against the council who say that the walkway is not required. He said:

"The Public Right of Way is used daily by Brentwood residents and the council application has been made to try to clear the way for the sale of the Disabled Access Car Park to multi-national financial institution Barclays, who would be displaced by the William Hunter Way development and are holding a 'ransom strip' of land before the development can start."

"The council are in this mess, to some degree, because there has been no discussion or consultation with ward councillors, disabled access car park users or residents. No council committee has been given the opportunity to debate the issues here and it has literally been decided behind closed doors, leaving us to deal with the fall out."

"To illustrate that point, 40 letters of objection were received over the change to the Disabled Access Car Park and was withdrawn by the council, presumably to avoid extreme embarrassment."

The court case is expected to last two days and will include a site visit at 3pm tomorrow afternoon in William Hunter Way/North Road Avenue. Brentwood Council needs to prove walkway isn't needed for the application to go ahead.

Cllr Mynott, ward councillor for Brentwood North, said:

"Brentwood North's Liberal Democrat councillors will continue to fight for local residents, protecting the car park for those who need disability access and residents who have had enough of being treated so badly by the Conservative administration."