PURBECK Shooting School has been thrown a High Court lifeline by one of the country’s top judges.

Mr Justice Dove has agreed the school can mount a legal challenge against a government Planning Inspectorate ruling threatening its closure.

Earlier this year a planning inspector backed Purbeck District Council’s decision to uphold an enforcement notice alleging a failure to comply with noise conditions at the Puddletown Road site, near Wareham.

School owner Graham Brown, who has vowed to ‘fight until his last breath’ to save his business, is now looking ahead to early next year when the High Court hearing is likely to proceed.

Mr Brown’s solicitor, Lionel Fynn of Bournemouth’s Horsey Lightly Fynn law firm, welcomed the judge’s decision, that was made at London’s High Court on Tuesday.

He said: “It is a bullseye on the first target to getting the decision overturned.”

Mr Fynn explained that this latest High Court ruling had, in effect, allowed the shooting school to proceed with its application to have the inspector’s decision quashed so that a new enquiry can examine the consideration afresh.

Purbeck Shooting School argues that after a decade of continuous operation, during which time they were unable to meet the terms of the noise condition that could not be complied with, their activities had become immune from enforcement action, says Mr Fynn.

The school claims the inspector failed to consider this submission or give any lawful reason for dismissing it.

The district council enforcement notice, that sparked the ongoing legal wrangle, cited gunfire exceeded the 55db level outlined in the school’s licence.

Welcoming the latest High Court ruling, Mr Brown said he hopes the outcome will pave the way to preserve the future of his much-needed and highly regarded facility.