CHERWELL District Council spent more than £35,000 of taxpayer’s money fighting plans for a high-speed rail link between London and the north, it has been revealed.

The authority was one of 15 councils which teamed up with residents’ associations to fight the HS2 project in the Court of Appeal.

The £42.6bn line – set to open in 2026 – would go from London to the Midlands and the north through Finmere and Mixbury in Oxfordshire.

All seven grounds of appeal over the scheme were rejected by the Court of Appeal in July.

Tory-run Cherwell yesterday confirmed it had spent £35,979 on the legal challenge, which has been criticised by the Labour opposition.

Opposition leader Sean Woodcock said: “This is a national issue which touches Cherwell but not as much as other areas. In terms of the HS2 proposal, there are arguments for and against and very vociferous campaigns on both sides, but we feel this is money which could have been better spent on other services.”

Council spokesman Jemma Callow said: “We will continue to press on the arguments, specifically how the EU directive on sustainable appraisals has been applied to the HS2 project.

“With regards to the money spent, that is always a matter of judgment.

“This may only affect one ward in Cherwell but the impact outweighs any potential benefits for Cherwell.”