A MAJOR blow was dealt to plans to build on the site of the Oxford Stadium yesterday after a landmark ruling.

Owners of the Sandy Lane stadium Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) took Oxford City Council to a judicial review after it designated the stadium as a conservation area, preventing the site from being redeveloped.

Yesterday’s decision by a High Court judge to throw out the appeal was hailed as great news by campaigners for the greyhound and speedway stadium.

It followed the council’s refusal to allow planning permission to demolish the stadium and build 220 homes on the site. GRA appealed and a judicial review hearing took place at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on December 8.

But yesterday Mr Justice Duncan Ouseley ruled that the stadium will remain a conservation area thus throwing up a major obstacle in plans.

The judge said that although the Blackbird Leys stadium was “one of the more unusual conservation areas” he had considered, the council was entitled to designate it in this way.

But town hall lawyer Michael Morgan said the GRA could now try to take the case to the Court of Appeal.

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Save Our Stadium Campaigner Mick Wheble said: “I think this ruling is great news and I believe the Greyhound Racing Association will now throw in the towel – I hope it does not take this to the Court of Appeal.

“The GRA should sell the site to a bidder who wants to take on the stadium for greyhound racing – there have been a number of serious bidders in the past.

“I think this decision does now rule out homes being built on the site.

“It’s possible planning permission could at some point be given for a few flats at the back of the car park, but that would not affect racing or speedway.

“The next stage should be the GRA either selling the site or leasing it.”

City council leader Bob Price added: “We are very pleased that the High Court has dismissed the challenge from the developers to the designation of the greyhound racing and speedway stadium as a conservation area.

“The court found that the designation process has been carried out in a thorough and exemplary manner, which met all the statutory requirements.”

GRA previously said it wanted to sell the stadium to a developer after it closed in 2012.

The conservation area court battle came after the council refused developer Galliard permission in January 2014 to build on the site.

Galliard initially appealed against the council’s refusal, but withdrew its bid when the authority designated the site a conservation area.

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith, who has long supported the campaign to preserve the stadium for greyhound racing, said: “This is a massive boost to the campaign to save Oxford Stadium.

“I hope the judgement will prompt the developers to abandon their plans and will now sell the stadium to someone who will operate it as a recreational facility and bring back greyhound racing and speedway.

“There have been people who have put in significant bids to buy the stadium but its value as a stadium is significantly less than its value for housing.

“Developers should now get the message that they are not going to get planning permission for their housing.”

No one from Galliard Homes was available for comment.

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