.gif)
13 July 2012 09:47
Approximately 40 small businesses are uniting to challenge the organisers of the Olympics over planned road closures and security restrictions, which they say will put hundreds of jobs at risk.
Test cases are being launched at the High Court in London today, with affected business leaders in east London warning that their companies could collapse.
Today, lawyers for the business companies in the Hackney area will ask Mr Justice Singh for permission to seek judicial review against the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).
They want to challenge the legality of traffic management regulations which restrict movements of vehicles using the Olympic route network.
They are expected to argue the restrictions unlawfully affect their right of access to their own premises and also affect the access rights of their suppliers and customers.
The judge will be told of their fears that, unless there is a change of attitude, their businesses will either be severely damaged or forced to close down.
They contend they have an arguable case that the ODA does not have the power in all the circumstances to impose the restrictions under the relevant traffic management order.
They say the authority has failed to assess their need for reasonable access to their premises or made appropriate exemptions.
There has also been a failure to offer to compensate or relocate affected businesses.
All the businesses are outside a compulsory purchase zone, inside which 193 affected companies were given compensation and new homes.
