Controversial plans to build a walking and cycling route through Havannah Nature Reserve in Newcastle could soon face a legal challenge, reigniting tensions between environmental campaigners and city planners.
00:01Controversial plans to build a walking and cycling route through Havana Nature Reserve in Newcastle
00:06could soon face a legal challenge, reigniting tensions between environmental campaigners and city planners.
00:13Newcastle City Council approved proposals last month to construct an asphalt path through the protected green space.
00:21The route designed to improve access between Hazel Rigg and the Newcastle Great Park estate
00:26would also include 5-metre-high LED street lighting, a detail that has sparked significant concern among wildlife advocates.
00:35The project is closely linked to the opening of the Great Park Academy, a long-awaited secondary school set to welcome pupils this September.
00:43Supporters, including the Gosforth Group Multi-Academy Trust, argue that the upgraded path is essential to ensure a safe and direct route for students travelling to and from the school.
00:54But campaigners from Save Newcastle Wildlife say the development poses a serious risk to local habitats.
01:01They argue that artificial lighting could disrupt the foraging and breeding behaviours of protected species that live in the reserve.
01:08Now, a legal threat has emerged. The Environmental Law Foundation, acting on behalf of Save Newcastle Wildlife,
01:15has issued a pre-action letter to Newcastle City Council outlining plans for a potential judicial review.
01:22The letter, dated June 16, claimed that the Council's planning committee acted unlawfully by failing to consider alternative routes,
01:29by not providing clear reasons for rejecting those options and by not complying with habitat conservation regulations.
01:36In response, a Council spokesperson confirmed a receipt of the pre-action letter and said a formal reply will be issued this week.
