High Court clears way for Stobart airport upgrade

An objection to Stobart's redevelopment of Carlisle Airport has been thrown out by the High Court.

Stobart plans a new headquarters office and 387,500 sq ft distribution storage centre at the airport as part of a £25m expansion.

Irthington farmer Gordon Brown applied for the High Court to order a judicial review of Carlisle City Council's decision to grant planning permission. Brown is managing partner of Lane End Farm, 25 acres of which is airport land leased by his father. His High Court application for a judicial review alleged that Carlisle City Council's handling of the airport planning application was flawed.

Brown also argued that the airport scheme was not primarily about aviation, but an attempt to build a "colossal" haulage distribution centre which will have a major environmental impact.

Deputy High Court Judge Anthony Thornton QC formally refused permission for a review. He ordered that Brown should pay £1,000 legal costs to the two defendants in the case – Carlisle City Council and Stobart Air.