Anti-Article 4 Direction campaigners will take legal action against Gwynedd Council.

The judicial review will move forward and proceedings will be issued within the next six weeks, they say.

Campaigner Robin Finch said Cabinet members voted without consideration from the rest of the councillors, and did not acknowledge receipt of “far more 'against Article 4' responses in the public consultation than there were for it”. “These 10 cabinet members knowingly and by their own admission voted to devalue every single local home in Gwynedd,” Robin added.

“Many locals are extremely distressed about the situation the council have now put them in. A council is supposed to work for every resident and that is just not the case with Cyngor Gwynedd.

“While we as a group are extremely disappointed with the vote and what we see as an abuse of power by Cyngor Gwynedd cabinet, all funds have been raised to support the claimant in a Judicial Review, that process will now begin."

A claimant for the campaigners will send a letter of claim to the council, setting out the grounds of the Judicial Review.

Gwynedd will have the opportunity to respond to that.

A claim will be lodged with the court within six weeks asking the court for permission to bring a judicial review.

If granted, the claim will go before a judge.

A solicitor has already prepared a draft letter of claim and has asked Gwynedd to disclose documents needed to finalise the letter.

Gwynedd say they will provide that information by 23 July, following receipt of which the letter of claim will be finalised and sent.

The judicial review will not stop A4 from coming into force on 1 September.

Once court proceedings have been issued, it may be many months before the court decides whether to allow the judicial review to proceed. If permission is granted then the claim is likely to reach a final hearing within six months to a year.