Thames Water is facing the prospect of a legal battle after campaigners against the £4bn Tideway Tunnel lodged an application for judicial review with the Royal Courts of Justice on Friday, the deadline for a legal challenge to be made.
The application by the campaigning group Blue-Green Economy follows the decision announced in September granting a Development Consent order for the Tunnel following a lengthy examination process by the Planning Inspectorate.
The Order granted development consent for the construction and operation of the Thames Tideway Tunnel, a number of connection tunnels and other associated development and ancillary works. The Order authorised works at 24 sites in London along the route of the tunnel, including works to construct interception structures at 16 combined sewage overflows, as well as other associated development. It also authorised the compulsorily acquisition of land and to use land temporarily, for the purposes of the proposed development.
Blue-Green Economy is a broad group of independent experts – which includes engineers, politicians, lawyers, economists, financiers, journalists, architects, landscape architects, climate change scientists, public health advisors and environmentalists.
The campaigners are challenging the decision as unlawful on the grounds that the Government failed to comply with its legal obligations under the Environmental Impact Assessment regime with regard to public participation under European and British Law.
Blue Green Economy are calling for a more sustainable solution to be used for the problems the Tideway Tunnel is intended to address.
Under section 118 of the Planning Act 2008 the Consent Order can only be challenged by means of a claim for judicial review in the High Court.
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