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Campaigners aim to block £20m tram depot
DEFIANT opponents to Blackpool's £20m tram depot and heritage centre have vowed to continue their struggle against the plans.
Members of Starr Gate Residents' Association and Blackpool Light Craft Club have hired solicitors to advise them on how they can continue their battle against the proposals, which were approved earlier this week.
Ian Butter, a member of the Light Craft Club, claimed the council is "obliged to submit the application to Government office" because the proposals are a departure from the local plan, while residents near the Starr Gate site are threatening to pursue a judicial review.
Mr Butter said: "We are going to follow this through. The councillors have voted on something that should be referred to Government office.
It would mean local residents having a chance to canvas Government office to make their concerns known. The Secretary of State can do a call-in and the application would go to public inquiry.
"The Light Craft club is going to challenge the council for not deferring it to Government. We are going to take this as far as we can."
Starr Gate Residents' Association has also pledged to take their fight "to the next level".
John Watson, from South Shore, said: "We have been advised we could look into a judicial review. We are not finished. We are not going to go away and we have money pledged to fight it."
A judicial review is a type of court proceeding in which a judge reviews the lawfulness of a decision made by a public body.
But council chiefs insist the plans had been considered correctly and do not believe there are grounds for a judicial review.
A council spokeswoman said: "This planning application has been consulted on and considered by the development control committee using the correct procedures.
"We don't believe there will be grounds for a judicial review."
The council received around 60 letters of objection and a petition bearing 161 signatures. The main issues concerning residents include the lack of parking facilities, the development being too large and causing the de-valuation of properties.
The tram depot, which will form part of the 100m upgrade of the tramway, will act as a maintenance and storage building and house up to 20 of the new supertrams.
The outline planning application for a heritage centre was also approved despite objectors again raising the issue of parking.
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Weather for Blackpool
Monday 13 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 7 C
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Wind direction: West
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