Village known for ITV drama in High Court challenge

The parish council of a village at the heart of an ITV drama has lost a High Court dispute over a proposed off-road path through its centre.

Grantchester Parish Council challenged the Greater Cambridge Partnership's (GCP) 2023 decision to construct the Haslingfield Greenway through the village.

It argued there had been a "binding agreement" that the greenway, which would connect Haslingfield to Cambridge via Granchester, would not run through the village if residents were opposed to it, but GCP argued no such commitment was given.

The village gives its name to the ITV drama, starring Robson Green and Kacey Ainsworth, which has been running since 2014.

Barristers for the council told the High Court last month that the greenway, one of 12 aimed at encouraging residents to cycle, walk or ride horses rather than drive in the Cambridge area, would cause harm to the village's character and appearance, and should instead be placed along an alternative route.

In a ruling on Monday, Mrs Justice Lieven dismissed the challenge.

The judge said that the parish council was "supportive of the greenways proposal in principle, but considers the 'through Grantchester' route to be unacceptable".

The parish council argued that a councillor, Bridget Smith, who previously sat on the GCP executive board, had given the "binding commitment" in 2022 that the greenway would not run through the village if residents were opposed to it.

Public consultation in 2023 found that 73% of people in the village were opposed to the route going through the village.

However, at the time, the GCP said its decision to push on with the recommended Grantchester section of the new route was based on the overall feedback from the consultation, which showed a majority of people - 64% - supported it.

Mrs Justice Lieven found that Smith made "no binding promise of the requisite level of clarity and unequivocality", adding that it would have been "a fairly extraordinary thing to do" had she done so.

According to the GCP website, the Haslingfield Greenway "is now in its final design phases" with the full planning application to be "submitted in the spring".

Grantchester was also home to poet Rupert Brooke, who died during World War One.

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