Judicial Review is cancelled!

Nick Pentith has withdrawn the Judicial Review. Rage Online received confirmation this morning from a reliable source within Oxford City Council that the case will not go ahead as scheduled this week because Pentith is still hopeful of being involved in the forthcoming development of Oxpens, but the City Council would refuse to deal with him if he insisted on continuing with the Judicial Review. The decision to withdraw from the JR came about after a meeting on Friday evening between the three interested parties (Oxford City Council, British Rail Properties Board and Nick Pentith) which probably saw the Cheshire developer advised by his backers (BRPB) that to continue with the JR would not be in his best interests.

This leaves three obstacles still to overcome: Morrells, whose appeal has already been heard and the result is pending; Les Wells, whose caution is registered at the Land Registry, but whose claim to a right of way is unlikely to be upheld when the case comes to court, hopefully in the next few weeks; and Thames Water, who have reached agreement with the City Council and Firoz Kassam over the amount to be paid for the breach of the TW covenant on the stadium site, but which still needs to be formally settled. However there is no doubt now that the major obstacle to the continuation of building at Minchery Farm has now been overcome and that, notwithstanding any unforeseen hitches (of which there will doubtless be some) we can start to look forward to playing in the new stadium next season.