Cheshire West and Chester Council is likely to face a bill regarding legal costs of up to GBP 100,000 after it lost a High Court battle against Ardagh Glass when rival firm Quinn Glass was allowed to …
Cheshire West and Chester Council is likely to face a bill regarding legal costs of up to GBP 100,000 after it lost a High Court battle against Ardagh Glass when rival firm Quinn Glass was allowed to build a bottling plant at Elton without planning consent. Ardagh successfully argued the council should take enforcement action against Quinn. Costs awarded to Ardagh have still to be finalized by means of a ruling pending over another aspect of the case which could see costs flowing in the other direction. Finance director at Ardagh Keith Swindell said: “It is disappointing that it required legal action to prompt the council into addressing the unacceptable situation at Elton. “It will also be disappointing to the local taxpayers that, once again, the council has needlessly incurred thousands of pounds of costs as a result of not taking the right actions at the right times.” According to council spokesman Ian Callister: “Costs have been awarded in respect of the first part but have not yet been settled relating to the second matter, now before the Court for Appeal.”