Tribunal gears up
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by Karen Miles
AS MORE operaters find themselves in the new environmental strait-jacket, the Transport Tribunal is gearing itself up to cope with an increased number of appeals.
It has already enlisted the services of a fourth member Robert Owen, who will take an increasingly greater share in heading the Tribunal, along with the president, Judge Inskip.
The Transport Tribunal admits that this move is in preparation for the busier times ahead as more environmental appeal cases are heard.
Since the regulations were brought in last June, seven environmental appeal cases have been heard by the Tribunal, And the first two appeals — UK Corrugated of Pudsey, West Yorkshire, and Auto-Industries of Leeds — were only lodged last. December.
So far this year, five of the 10 appeals • lodged with the Tribunal are connected with the environmental legislation. And it does not expect that the pressure will lessen to any great extent when Licensing Authorities, operators and residents get more used to the new system. Of the 24 appeals lodged with the Transport Tribunal last year, only four were allowed. Two of the four were the UK Corrugated (CM, February 9) and AutoIndustries (CM, March 2), environmental cases.
The Tribunal dismissed 10 of the cases and referred two others back to the LAs.
Three operators' appeals were dismissed for want of prsoecution, or operators did not turn up on the day.
Five withdrew their appeal before reaching the Tribunal courtroom, and consequently had their appeal dismissed under Tribunal rule 44 (1).