A Conservative city councillor is waiting to discover whether he has been successful in a judicial review against his own administration.
Kim Gottlieb brought the legal action against Winchester City Council because he believes they failed to put out to competitive tender the contract for a £165m, five-acre city centre development known as Silver Hill.
The Hon Mrs Justice Lang reserved judgment last week after a two-day hearing in the Royal Courts of Justice.
Supporters of the campaign have written to communities secretary Eric Pickles to ask him to call in the application for the scheme on the city council’s land, which was approved by the authority’s planning committee last month.
Cllr Gottlieb told The MJ the scheme was a ‘lunacy’, adding: ‘It is pretty rare for a councillor to sue his own council. They put up fierce resistance at both senior officer and councillor level.’
He continued: ‘There are so many issues relating to the way the council has considered this scheme – issues of procurement, national heritage, planning and the council’s conduct at the compulsory purchase order inquiry.
‘We believe the secretary of state will want to take a close look at what has been going on here and initiate a public inquiry.’
