17.09 today (Sunday 14 May) the Forum had raised the minimum amount (£15,000) to fund the claim to quash the Calderdale Local Plan.

The legal papers were filed at the High Court on Friday, 28 April and served on Calderdale Council and the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 2 May. The claim seeks an order quashing the decision to adopt the Calderdale Local Plan. It provides several detailed grounds for the claim, including errors of fact within the Inspector’s Report on which the decision to adopt was based.

Both parties have 21 days from serving to respond to the claim to indicate whether they are conceding (i.e. agree that the decision to adopt the local plan should be quashed) or whether they intend to defend the claim. If they intend to defend, they will need to include their main arguments in their response.

If at least one party is defending the claim, then the matter will go before a Judge (on the papers only) to decide whether to grant permission for the claim to proceed to a full hearing.

The stretched target of £20,000 is achievable within the next nine days.