A HIGH Court judge has dismissed campaigners’ latest bid to call a halt on the £250 million expansion of Brighton Marina.

Opponents to the development of what is already one of Europe’s largest marinas had complained the latest stage of the scheme obstructed navigation routes.

But the Honourable Mr Justice Holgate said there was “an air of complete unreality” in the claimant’s arguments.

Marina bosses said the legal challenges, which have been in action for more than four years over various issues, had no impact on plans to build 850 new homes on the waterfront which remained on schedule.

The latest challenge, heard in March at the High Court, focused on the plan to build more than two hectares over a “spending beach” and sea at the marina’s south west tip to create foundations for three towers, the highest of which will be 40 storeys high.

A marine licence granted in February 2016 allowed for the installation of a series of supporting piles and booms close to the mouth of the harbour.

Robert Powell, of the Brighton Marina Action Group, argued the work encroached on the navigable channel which would be “insufficient on some occasions” for sail boats and would prevent the use of the spending beach as a “last resort” in the case of engine failure or a damaged rudder.

They brought an action against the Marine Management Organisation for failing to consider whether the works would impact navigation, failing to apply the correct legal test in making that judgement and not having the right to issue a marine licence because the work interfered with navigation.

Judge Holgate said no other party consulted, and then subsequently re-consulted following the concerns raised by Mr Powell and Professor John Watts, who are both qualified engineers.

CCTV footage over five months revealed only nine vessels straying from the channel while the RNLI said they knew of no occasion in the last 20 years when a vessel needed to beach on the spending beach.

There had also been no complaint about the location of the foundations since its emergence last summer.

The judge, who said the claimant’s case involved a “fundamental misunderstanding” of maritime legislation, also refused leave for appeal because he did not believe the proposed grounds would have any real prospect of success.

Andrew Goodall, from marina landowner Brunswick Developments, said: “The judgement speaks for itself. Everything that should be done has been done and continues to be done in the future.

“It’s not really for me to say whether it was a genuine claim. What I love about this country is that it is a democracy where everyone is given their chance to have their say, and in their case the chance to speak again and again, and everyone can see that justice has been done.”

A Marine Management Organisation spokeswoman said: “The MMO is pleased with both the outcome of the Judicial Review and the judge’s comments regarding the manner in which the MMO licensing team approached the granting of the marine licence.”