A man with a history of spurious legal challenges and objections to major developments across the country is to speak against the King Alfred proposal at a key planning meeting next week, The Argus can reveal.
Terence Ewing, who runs the Euston Trust in Camden, is on a provisional list of speakers for the planning committee meeting which will decide the fate of the £290 million Frank Gehry development.
Mr Ewing is representing the National Heritage Nature and Environmental Preservation Society which also objected to planning applications for the Brighton Marina development and the Wembley Arena, London.
The society is registered at Lawn Road, Camden, which is also the address of the Euston Trust - neither are registered by the Charity Commission.
Since 1990, he has been listed by Her Majesty's Courts Services as a vexatious litigant, which means he must obtain permission from a High Court before making any legal challenges.
These restrictions are imposed if a High Court judge is satisfied that someone has "habitually and persistently and without any reasonable ground instituted vexatious civil proceedings".
In 2005, Mr Ewing mounted a case against a development in Weston-super-Mare for flats and a respite centre for veterans of the armed services.
He applied for a judicial review, which was denied by the court, and one of the developers The Royal British Legion was awarded £6,400 in costs.
An appeal by Mr Ewing was thrown out by the High Court in December 2005.
Lord Justice Carnwath said at the time: "In this case, as I have already observed, there was nothing in the claim form or supporting evidence to suggest that Mr Ewing or Mr Hammerton had any connection with this site or this development, nor any other special interest distinct from that of the public at large.
"Nor was any reason given to think that these buildings in Weston-super-Mare were of such national significance that their fate was a proper concern of a London heritage campaigning group (even treating the "Euston Trust" at face value)."
He added that a vexatious litigant with such a tenuous connection with the subject matter should not be surprised when his request to mount a legal challenge is turned down.
Valerie Paynter, of anti-King Alfred group Save Hove, said: "The bizarre and squalid ending to the current King Alfred story has it seems taken yet another twisty little jaw-dropping turn."
A spokesman for the council yesterday confirmed that Mr Ewing had asked to speak at the meeting but attempts to contact him had so far failed.
A spokeswoman for Karis said that they had no knowledge of Mr Ewing and had not been contacted by him.
Mr Ewing could not be contacted yesterday.
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