A High Court judge has thrown out an application by Sisu to have a judicial review of Coventry City Council’s actions on fhe Ricoh Arena. The application will not proceed to a full trial.
A High Court judge has thrown out an application by Sisu to have a judicial review of Coventry City Council’s actions on fhe Ricoh Arena. The application will not proceed to a full trial.
Sisu claimed that in taking over the mortgage of Arena Coventry Limited from Yorkshire Bank, the City Council were breaching EU state aid rules. But the judge ruled it was a commercial decision taken to protect the City Council’s interests. The fact that some members of the City Council, especially former leader Councillor Mutton, showed animosity towards Sisu did not make the decision improper.
The law surrounding EU state aid rules is complex, but sometimes people slip into the assumption that it means that any state aid is illegal which is not the case. This judgment will not, however, silence the war of words over Coventry City and the Ricoh, it is simply another chapter in the saga.