THE GOVERNMENT’S response to legal action over the decision to place Warwickshire in Tier 3 is expected later today.
Stratford District Council sent a judicial review pre-action protocol letter last week to health and social care secretary Matt Hancock. The move has been backed by Warwick district leader Andrew Day who described the Tier decisions as a ‘broad-brush approach’.
The government’s legal department said it would not be able to respond by the council’s deadline on Thursday (December 3) but promised to respond ‘substantively’ to the claim later today (Monday December 7).
The county, which pre-lockdown was in Tier 1, was left reeling following the announcement it would be placed in Tier 3.
At the time the letter was sent, of the 30 local authorities in the West Midlands, only Malvern Hills in Worcestershire – which is in Tier 2 – had a lower rate than Stratford district. And Redditch borough, which is also in Worcestershire and shares a border with the district, had a seven day average case rate almost three times the rate for Stratford district.
In the last week, Stratford’s cases have dropped to 66 per 100,000, while the number in Redditch is 144 in 100,000. In Warwick district, the number has dropped to 151.
The council demanded the government reverse the decision to put Stratford district into Tier 3 and move it into a lower tier or take necessary steps to withdraw or amend the relevant regulations.
A council spokesperson said: “While it is disappointing we have not had a response by our deadline, it is appropriate that we wait for this response before determining our next cause of action, following which we will be able to releasing a further statement.
“It should be noted however, that it is very pleasing that comments from a number of senior politicians including the Prime Minister indicates that the next review, in mid-December, will be on a lower level of geography.”
