A LEGAL challenge has been started against the granting of planning permission to replace Exeter cricket pavilion with four blocks of student accommodation and a new pavilion.
St James Forum is behind the challenge and Bob Price, chairman of Exeter Cricket Club has said he believes the decision was taken by a 'small group of activists' who 'risk the future of the club and the ground'.
Mr Price said: " The whole community backed the fantastic efforts of the Forum to produce a neighbourhood plan which everyone in St James is rightly proud of.
"The plan provides a clear mandate to save our club through the development which was approved by the city planners in June. Now it appears that a small group of activists is determined to pursue this legal challenge, risking the future of the cricket club and the ground. "They say they are standing up for the neighbourhood plan. We say that we are.''
Mr Price added: "I fear that some people in the Forum may want to have a fight with the city council, and that the cricket club could become a victim of a turf war.
Mr Price has questioned the Forum's ability to pay for a legal challenge and whether the decision to apply for a judicial review was taken by the Forum's steering group rather than at the Forum's annual meeting.
A spokeswoman for the Forum's steering group said: "It is disappointing that the cricket club chooses to focus on who voted and how we intend to pay costs rather than the reasons for the challenge.
"The Forum's challenge is specifically concerned with heritage, environmental and design policies.
"We have never opposed development at the cricket club.
"It has been difficult to challenge the council, with whom we worked closely during the neighbourhood plan process, and we do understand the cricket club's disappointment at any delay in their plans.
"Constructive discussion and meaningful amendments to the proposals would be welcomed."
Solicitors acting on behalf of Exeter St James Forum have sent a pre-action protocol letter to Exeter City Council which is expected to reply by August 1.
The Forum will then consider whether further action should be taken.
Mr Price added: "The developers have tried to respond to the constructive comments put forward by the Forum's design panel, and even made an approach to them after permission was granted to ask if they could work together to improve the scheme, but the response has been this legal challenge.
"I recognise that the Forum has concerns but this is not the way to resolve them. That is why I have now asked our ward councillors to get all parties together to resolve this before it destroys our club and ruins our community.''
A spokesman for the city council said: "As this application is the subject of legal proceedings we are not in a position to comment."
