Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

Wiltshire Council admits defeat.

Wiltshire Council (WC) has decided not to challenge the government's decision to refuse the bypass scheme, but has wasted more of our money by getting legal experts to tell them what was patently obvious to anyone anyway; that there were no possible grounds for an appeal.

The government decision could only be challenged by making an application to the High Court under Section 288 of the Town and County Planning Act 1990 within six weeks of the date of the decision. Such a challenge may question the validity of the decision only on the grounds that it is not within the powers of the Act or that any of the relevant requirements have not been complied with in relation to the decision.

Quite why the council felt the need to throw good money after bad only the Leader and her Cabinet know.

Money that has already been spent on the scheme is not recoverable from the government and so is 'lost'.