Coleman hits back at judge's criticisms over Partingdale Lane (From Times Series)

Coleman hits back at judge's criticisms over Partingdale Lane

5:00pm Monday 20th January 2003 in News By Leigh Collins

Councillor Brian Coleman, Barnet Council's cabinet member for environment, has hit back at a High Court judge's criticisms when ordering an injunction to temporarily close Partingdale Lane in Mill Hill.

On Monday morning (January 21), Mr Justice Hooper criticised Mr Coleman for prematurely making his mind up years ago to reopen the lane, and for his personalised criticisms' of the narrow lane's residents.

But Mr Coleman said the judge's statements were nonsense' and vowed the lane would eventually be permanently reopened.

"The judge doesn't understand the council constitution," he said. "It's a minor inconvenience. It doesn't influence our policy at all. It will just delay matters slightly."

In a statement, Barnet Council said: "The council is disappointed with the court's interim decision but reluctantly accepts that it has to close the road in advance of the outcome of the full hearing. This is an interim order and the council is confident that its decision to reopen the road was the correct one. The council believes its decision will be upheld when the matter comes to court for a full hearing."