London Cruise Port: Legal Appeal and Parliamentary Debate

The East Greenwich Residents Association understands that permission has been sought to appeal against the High Court decision of 8 August which found for Greenwich Council. That would allow a potentially highly polluting cruise liner terminal to be built and operated in the heart of London. Running ships’ diesel engines can be as polluting as 688 lorries idling all day. The alternative is to connect berthed ship to a shore-side power supply.

The request, to the Court of Appeal, will first be made “on the papers”, that is a written application. If refused, we understand that an oral permission hearing will be sought. These were precisely the steps made to get a hearing at the High Court. This time it is that High Court’s judgment that is being appealed against, it being claimed by Richard Buxton Public and Environmental Lawyers that there were errors of law in the judgement.

Ian Blore, a member of the East Greenwich Residents Association comments:

“We half expected an appeal. Residents and others who attended the two-day full High Court hearing were surprised when Mr Justice Collins joked that he would issue his decision before going on an Antarctic cruise. The 9,500 Londoners who die of air pollution each year may not find that funny. It is sad that a potentially highly polluting development is still being pursued when air quality is at the top of everyone’s agenda and when a remedy, onshore power supply to the berthed ships, is possible. It’s doubly sad that citizens have to pay to crowdfund a legal action to prevent this and to pay council taxes to fund the legal costs of the Royal Borough of Greenwich.”

The London Cruise Port issue was again discussed in Parliament at a Westminster Hall Debate on Wednesday, 9 September. A Hansard entry is available.