A FINAL decision over a former council leader’s bid to create a controversial housing estate will not be made for at least five months following calls for the appeal to be heard at a full public inquiry.
David Hughes’ plans to build 21 houses on Clay Green Farm in Alfrick were rejected by Malvern Hills District Council’s planning committee in February but as The Observer exclusively revealed the decision was appealed in August.
However a final answer on the plans will not be announced until the new year after a letter from the planning inspectorate confirmed the case would be best decided via a public inquiry – the most serious stage of a planning appeal.
A start date for the planning inquiry has yet to be announced and a report from the planning inspectorate states ‘We set the inquiry date which will normally be within 20 to 22 weeks of the start date’.
The letter from Bernard Harte reads: “Following representations of the main parties and after hearing the views of third parties, the inspector agreed that a Public Inquiry procedure was required.”
The Folly Road site is owned by Mr Hughes, who was ousted as leader of the district council in May, and would include nine affordable properties.
Councillors previously labelled the development ‘awful’ and ‘soulless’, and objectors appeared to have won their battle when proposals were thrown out.
The controversy surrounding the development was even surfaced in the country’s best selling news and current affairs magazine, Private Eye at the start of the year – when Hughes was still the leader of the district council.
Gary Williams, head of planning and housing at Malvern Hills District Council, said: “Having previously decided an informal hearing was the right way to determine this appeal, due to the complex nature of the application, the inspector considered it necessary to continue the appeal as an inquiry.
“In particular, the inspector felt this would allow detailed examination of ecological matters under cross examination as well as give everyone involved time to understand additional information submitted by the applicant regarding highways.
“While we’re disappointed this will delay the decision on the appeal, it’s important all the evidence is scrutinised thoroughly and we’re confident that will be the case.”
Mr Hughes told The Observer earlier this year he felt ‘absolutely convinced’ the planning saga was one of the main reasons behind his election defeat.
Speaking after the decision to turn the appeal into a public inquiry he said: “I think having a full public inquiry is the right thing to do.
“There’s such a lot of mis-information floating around and it’s up to the inspector to have a formal procedure to go through. This is the planning system and this is how it all works.”
