Seagulls Party Leader, Paul Samrah, said “By choosing to continue their reckless legal challenge, Lewes Council's Cabinet have demonstrated both their fundamental ignorance of the process they are embarking upon and an arrogant dismissal of the views of thousands of local residents.
The Seagulls Party considers they are unfit to administer the district council and we are calling upon the leader of the council to resign.
The Seagulls Party refute the Council's assumption contained in their statement released after today's Cabinet meeting that “the costs of the High Court hearing will be met by the Government”.
The best that the council can hope for is that the planning decision will be quashed and Ruth Kelly, the Secretary of State, will be asked to reconsider it. Since that is precisely what has been offered by the government already, it is certain that legal costs will mount unnecessarily - solely from this latest action of Lewes District Council.
There is a real likelihood that costs will be claimed from the council, in excess of the funds they have set aside.
Samrah continued: “If Ann de Vecchi is so confident that local people will back her Cabinet's stance, then she will have no problem letting them have their say through the ballot box. We are ready and willing to fight the by-election that would result from her resignation”.