A HIGH Court judge has started hearing arguments in a bid to decide whether Oxford Stadium should remain a conservation area.
Today at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Mr Justice (Duncan) Ouseley heard from a barrister representing the stadium's owners, the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA).
He argued that Oxford City Council did not have proper grounds to designate the stadium as a conservation area, and was really reacting to "local pressure" from the community.
The GRA has previously said it wants to sell the stadium to a developer, and in January property firm Galliard was refused permission by the council to demolish the building and build 220 homes on the site.
The developer later withdrew its appeal against the decision after the stadium was made a conservation area.
This morning counsel for the GRA Thomas Hill QC said: "The decision is not being driven by heritage.
"The absence of any special architectural interest is clear from the materials before the court.
"There is also the failure to refer to English Heritage guidance, and the absence of any comparable designation of any sporting stadium in the UK.
"The conservation area designation simply cannot be supported."
The council's barrister Anthony Crean QC will make arguments on its behalf this afternoon.
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