Council loses out to the bookies, Teesdale Mercury

Council loses out to the bookies

Sep 4, 2002

TEESDALE Council is literally counting the cost after John Joyce Ltd won their appeal against the refusal of planning permission for a bookmakers at the empty Motor World premises in Market Place, Barnard Castle.

Charles Anderson, chief executive, confirmed on Monday that costs have been awarded against the council. “Our only line of appeal would be through the High

ESTABLISHED trophy winners at Cotherstone’s Flower and Vegetable Show faced extra competition this year as some new faces managed to take home some silverware.

The show, held on Saturday in the village hall, was a real success, said secretary David Bainbridge.

“The quality of the entries has been excellent,” he added. “There’s been a lot more to choose from this year and there’s been four or five people who’ve won trophies that have never won anything before.”

The trophies were presented by former show secretary, Bill Nixon and his wife, Peggy. The produce was then auctioned off by Mr Nixon and Stephen Lamb.

Court and that would be really expensive,” he said. “In the context of Motor World, I would say it is highly unlikely that we will be doing that. I have not yet been able to quantify the costs but they employed a professional consultant and the costs will not be nominal.”

It was a bitter-sweet moment for town mayor, Coun Margaret Hamilton, who had voted for permission to be granted. “As one of only two councillors to vote for it, I am very pleased because I want the shops to be occupied, but these costs are a very real worry to me, and will be a worry to us all,” she said.

John Joyce, MD of John Joyce Ltd, would not put a figure on the costs but said on Tuesday: “We did employ a professional town planner and we put a lot of work in. We will be in contact with the council to quantify the costs and we will be making an application for those costs that the inspector said we would be able to recover.

“We are very pleased we won the appeal and we felt their initial decision was wrong,” he said. It was a matter of principle and there were no sour grapes.

But the future of the empty shop remains a mystery because no decision has yet been taken as to whether they will now move in at Motor World. “We are not taking any quick decisions and the matter is under review,” he said.