Yesterday Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council were in court to hear the appeal by Walley's Quarry Ltd against the Council's Statutory Nuisance Abatement Notice. The purpose of the hearing was to set out a timetable for the case.
The Council's cabinet were updated yesterday evening.
On 9 February the parties need to deal with any issues around the evidence in the case. On 13 May the court will review the case, carry out a site visit and make final arrangements for the trial. On 6 June the trial will begin and last for four weeks.
The judge also recommended that the two parties start mediation. This is an established process to achieve a resolution for the community and would run alongside the legal process.
My colleague Simon Tagg, the Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, said: “Today marks the first step in the trial and it has been encouraging to have the path of the case laid out for us by the judge.
“This legal process is not something that we have entered into lightly and it should be remembered that we are taking this action on behalf of all of our communities, who have suffered unnecessarily for so long.”
I am very pleased that we now have a timetable for the abatement notice. Residents have suffered too long and this is another step towards justice for those impacted.