Appeal means £32.2m Rose Bowl project faces further delay (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Appeal means £32.2m Rose Bowl project faces further delay

4:38pm Saturday 20th March 2010 in

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HOTELIERS are preparing to make a new legal bid to stop the controversial £32.2m hotel project at West End’s Rose Bowl.

They have said they will be appealing against a judge’s decision to throw out their application for a judicial review.

Meridian Leisure, Shire and MacDonald had sought the review after Eastleigh Borough Council decided to fund the 175-bedroom hotel with taxpayers’ money.

They claimed that the council had not given its members all the relevant reports to make a decision, it was gambling with taxpayers’ money and it had not taken into account the financial situation surrounding the Rose Bowl.

But their application was dismissed in the High Court by deputy judge, John Randall, QC, who said it had “no reasonable prospect of success”.

A spokesman for their lawyers, Carter Ruck, said: “The hoteliers are disappointed by the deputy judge’s findings, but they remain of the view that the council have failed to properly consider, or, indeed, appreciate, the great risks this development presents to each and every taxpayer in Eastleigh.”

A spokesman for the council said it was disappointed that the hoteliers intended to continue with court proceedings which would further delay the regeneration scheme.

Rose Bowl MD, Glenn Delve, added: “Should they decide to appeal, we are confident that a second judge would come to the same decision as the first.”

“We were pleased to note that the first judge agreed with the procedures and actions taken by Eastleigh Borough Council in supporting the further development of the Rose Bowl.

“The application has caused some considerable frustration and delay.

“We believe the council has always acted in a considered manner when evaluating the merits of our project and we are delighted to have them as a partner in delivering a venue that will not just benefit Hampshire Cricket, but will be of long-term value to the people of Eastleigh and the wider region of south Hampshire.”

The borough council says the £48m redevelopment of the home of Hampshire cricket will make it “one of the most iconic and respected facilities of its kind”, creating jobs and boosting the local economy.

The completed project will have a championship 18-hole golf course, additional seating and stateof- the-art facilities for the press.

However, due to delays, the hotel will not be ready for the Rose Bowl’s first test match between England and Sri Lanka in 2011.