Manningtree railway station car park set for judicial review

The Dedham Vale Society has accused Greater Anglia of extending the car park at Manningtree railway station, on the Suffolk and Essex border, without planning permission. 

A spokesperson for Greater Anglia said it is allowed to "rely on permitted development rights" to build it. 

Charles Clover, chairman of the Dedham Vale Society (Image: Dedham Vale Society) The car park and station sits within the area famous for being known as Constable Country. It is a National Landscape, previously known as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 

Charles Clover, chairman of the Dedham Vale Society, said: "It has got this huge Berlin wall, as we call it, and it is very bright at night. They have put far too many lighting columns in.

"They have paid absolutely no attention to local feeling."

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The society says the lights for the car park emit more light pollution than the nearby town of Manningtree (Image: Mike Barrett/Dedham Vale Society)Issues highlighted by the group are the 200-yard steel wall around the perimeter of the car park and the lighting, which it claims emits more light than the entire nearby town of Manningtree. 

The society has been given leave to challenge the decision in the Royal Court of Justice on February 4 next year. 

According to the group, the development contravenes Section 85 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which states a relevant authority "must seek to further the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the area of outstanding natural beauty."

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It comes after a planning inspector granted the rail operator permission for the development earlier this year.

Mr Clover said the group does not believe the decision "complied with the law". 

In a statement on their fundraising page, the group said: "If we let developers get away with this, the floodgates will open to other developments here and in other protected areas."

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A spokesperson for Greater Anglia said: “It would not be appropriate for Greater Anglia to comment in any detail given that the litigation is ongoing.

“The Dedham Vale Society’s court claim relates to an alleged legal error in the Secretary of State’s decision that the car park extension at Manningtree does not require an Environmental Impact Assessment.

“However, Greater Anglia agrees with the Secretary of State that there was no error, and that the decision was the correct decision.

"This means that Greater Anglia is able to rely on permitted development rights that benefit railway operators, and therefore there was no need for planning permission for the car park extension.”