THE LEGAL bill for challenges to major developments in the Forest has topped £56,000 – and is set to continue climbing.

The figure, much of which could be picked up by Council Tax payers, was released as the Co-op made another challenge looms over the permission granted by the Forest Council to Asda opening a store in Cinderford and another bid made to thwart the Northern Quarter development.

A report to the council's Cabinet tomorrow (Thursday) shows that the authority has had to pay a total of £50,789 for three cases brought by Friends of the Earth and the legal bill for defending the challenge by the Co-op is currently £6,000.

A "pre-action" letter was served on the council by the Co-op after the authority again backed the Asda proposals.

Meanwhile the Dean Natural Alliance, an umbrella group of environmental groups including Friends of the Earth, has set up a petition calling on Communities Secretary Eric Pickles to hold a public inquiry into the Northern Quarter development.

The Forest branch of Friends of the Earth had sought judicial reviews of the council's decisions on the Core Strategy – the overall development blueprint for the district – and the Northern Quarter Masterplan.

The environmental group had its costs capped at £5,000 for the Core Strategy case so although the judge found for the council – and permission to appeal was refused – the council had to pay £22,625 of the £27,625 costs.

The judgement in the judicial review into the challenge on the Northern United planning permission is outstanding but costs total £24,170.

Friends of the Earth were refused permission to start a judicial review into the masterplan – leaving a bill for the council of £3,994.

Council leader Cllr Patrick Molyneux said: "We do seem to be winning the arguments but everybody thinks the local authority has its own pot of money so it doesn't matter." The Dean Natural Alliance has listed 20 grounds on which they believe the Secretary of State should intervene in the Northern Quarter.

It claims the proposal is of more than local importance and conflicts with national policies on important matters. The pre-action letter from the Co-op sets out what the company says needs to happen to prevent further legal moves.

Amanda Watkins of We want Asda in Cinderford added: "As a group, yet again, we are shocked at the new Co-op challenge. We feel Cinderford needs an alternative supermarket."

Cllr Molyneux said he was "disappointed" the Co-op was considering legal action and defended the council's stance on challenges.

He said: "We have council policies that have been out to consultation and agreed by councillors then we have a duty to back them up when it comes to these sorts of appeals.

"If we didn't then we would be laying our policies open for anybody to do whatever they like.

"We have a duty of care in both instances to make sure we spend Council Tax payers' money wisely but we also have to protect the community based on the policies we as councillors have agreed on behalf of the community and have been out to consultation and the community has generally agreed with."

The report to the Cabinet also shows that an unsuccessful defence of an appeal of refusal of planning permission at the Severn and Wye Smokery at Chaxhill left the council with costs of £55,000.