TV Harrison field plans ruled ‘flawed’ by High Court judge as campaigners hail ‘David v Goliath’ victory

Planning chiefs at Leeds City Council had approved blueprints to build 61 houses on the long-disused TV Harrison fields in Oldfield Lane, back in October 2021.

But following numerous legal challenges from campaigners who wanted to keep the pitch open for public use, the plans have been ruled “flawed as a matter of Law” by Mr Justice Eyre this morning. It follows a previous decision from the courts to force the council to list the site as an asset of community value.

Leeds City Council says it is now “considering its position” when it comes to its plans for the site.

Michael Meadowcroft, chairman of the TV Harrison Sports Ground Association said: “Once again the Leeds City Council’s planning decision to build on the T V Harrison Sports Ground has been overturned in the High Court. It means that the campaign to safeguard this sports ground has taken a further huge step forward.

“The hope of the campaign is that the council will now see the light and accept that the TV Harrison site should remain as a well-used and much loved Wortley asset and let us get on with returning it to its former glory.

“We are just a local voluntary organisation which has only resorted to legal action as a last resort. Every time we apply for Judicial Review of a Council decision we risk huge amounts of money in costs if we were to lose.

"The fact that our David has won against the Council’s Goliath is due above all to our splendid lawyers, in particularly Ricardo Gama of Leigh Day and Jenny Wigley QC of Landmark Chambers.”

When asked whether plans for the site would be reconsidered, a spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “The council is currently further considering its position in light of the judgement of the High Court handed down today.”

In his judgment, Mr Justice Eyre said: “In order to determine the application lawfully the Defendant had to have regard to policy N6. It had to consider that policy and made a judgement as to its interrelation with the SAP and the allocation there of the Site for housing subject to the site requirements. As Miss Wigley QC put it, the Defendant had to grapple with the consequences of the policy N6. That was not done and as a consequence the Decision was flawed as a matter of law.”

Policy N6 refers to rules around the protection of playing pitches in the city.

Ricardo Gama, solicitor at law firm Leigh Day, which represented campaigners, added: “TV Harrison CIC believes the fact that this is the fourth decision by Leeds City Council relating to TV Harrison Sports Ground to be quashed suggests that the council is determined to keep pushing the development regardless of the legal protections in place for sports fields such as this. Our client hopes that this latest judgment will cause council officers to rethink their approach and, at the very least, to make sure that all council policies are properly applied.”

The field was once home to the Leeds City Boys football team, where football legends including David Batty, Brian Deane and Stuart McCall first made their names. It has been restored by the community in recent years, after being officially closed since 2004. It has been used for informal football matches and fund-raising activities.

The site hit the headlines last week, after claims from campaigners that Leeds United were interested in buying the site and preserving it for community use. Neither the club nor Leeds City Council would comment on the claims, while owner of the site, Leeds Schools Sports Association, said they had received no approach.