October 22 2014.


The long running legal battle over village green status for the sandy West Beach in Newhaven will reach its final stage on Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th of November when the case will be heard by the Supreme Court. The owners of the beach, Newhaven Port and Properties are appealing against the decision made by the Appeal Court in March 2013 that the beach can be registered as a village green.

Both Newhaven Town Council, which made the original application for village green status, and East Sussex County Council, the Village Green registration authority, will be represented in Court.

The Town Mayor of Newhaven, Councillor Judith Ost, says: “At last this issue, which is so close to the hearts of the residents of Newhaven, will be considered at the very highest level and a final decision made. We know that the people of Newhaven will be keeping their fingers firmly crossed that we can get the beach re-opened.”

NPP’s legal team will be making their case for an appeal on Monday; on Tuesday it will be the turn of ESCC and NTC’s legal teams to argue that the appeal should not be allowed.

The Supreme Court is situated in Parliament Square, London SW1P 3BD and members of the public are welcome to attend the case. The hearing is due to start at 11am on Monday 3rd November, and the building opens to the public from 9.30am. The nearest underground station is Westminster.

If you are unable to get to London, why not watch it live online? The case is expected to be streamed live by Sky News and available on the Supreme Court website at www.supremecourt.uk