Manchester council loses legal fight to build car park next to school I The Guardian
Campaign group Trees Not Cars says victory exposes ‘hypocrisy’ of council’s approach to air pollution
A group of women from Manchester have won a legal battle with the city’s council, which wanted to build a 440-space car park next to the city centre’s only primary school.
Campaigners said the victory exposed the “hypocrisy” in the local authority’s approach to addressing air pollution and global heating.
It may also be viewed as a warning shot to other councils which, like Manchester, declare “climate emergencies” and then push through polluting development projects.
Manchester city council (MCC), which is running a public consultation on how to save £50m, spent an estimated £70,000 on some of England’s top planning barristers to fight a community group called Trees Not Cars.
