Battle lines drawn ahead of Etihad Campus public inquiry
THE public inquiry to decide on the dispute between Manchester City Council and East Manchester landowner Shaun O’Brien, will take place on May 1.
The case will determine whether Manchester City Football club’s £100m+ Etihad Campus training ground redevelopment project goes ahead.
Both sides have been assembling their legal teams ahead of the hearing which will take place at the Friend’s Meeting House, Mount Street and is listed as lasting for four days.
Mr O’Brien will be represented by property lawyer Chris Platt, a partner at Whitefield-based firm Latimer Lee.
The city council and Manchester City FC are seeking a compulsory purchase order of Mr O’Brien’s vehicle recovery business, OB Truck Services, in Clayton.
The Manchester United fan has sub-divided his land into 5,000 individual plots which he is selling to the public. He has been selling the plots via his website, Unite Against City, after failing to agree a price with the club for the land.
Manchester City Council’s council’s in-house lawyer Celia Tierney has instructed barristers Ian Dove QC and Celina Colqhoun of No5 Chambers in Birmingham to represent them.
Mr Platt, who has yet to instruct a barrister, has engaged CPO expert David Napier of surveyors GL Hearn to advise.
Manchester City, will be represented by its general counsel Simon Cliff.
The Etihad Campus development aims to transform a run-down 80-acre site next to the Etihad Stadium into a world class training complex.
The decision on whether to grant an order would be made by Eric Pickles, secretary of state for communities, following the public inquiry before a Government planning inspector.
A source close to the city council told TheBusinessDesk.com: “We are still hoping the landowner will engage in constructive, meaningful dialogue with us so that a public inquiry can be averted.”
