Marina Development Appeal
For the past three days, the Appeal hearing against the refusal of planning permission for the Marina holiday village development and the associated Marina side development, has been held in the hall at Hanley Castle High School. This involved over 13 hours of statements, evidence, cross examination, and legal argument, followed by another site visit.
The Appeal was conducted by Mr. Andrew Freeman, the Government appointed Inspector. MHDC were represented by Barrister Sarah Clover, and Vicky Bilton from MHDC. The case for Tingdene was put by Christopher Lockhart-Mummery QC, with Bob Beswick, the development architect as their expert witness.
Also speaking against the Appeal were Mike Ostick (Ripple Parish Council), Tim Perry (Upton Town Council), Marcia Proffitt (Local residents spokesperson), Dave Walker (Mercia Inshore Rescue and the Marina Community Group), Peter Surman (Local resident), Roger Wilding (AMICE and Parish Councillor) and Professor Peter Pumfrey (Local resident). We were pleased to have been supported by quite a few local residents, our Clerk and other Parish Councillors, who all gave up their time over the course of the three day hearing to attend.
As far as one can tell in these complex legal proceedings, the case for MHDC, as supported by Ripple Parish Council, was well and comprehensively stated. Naturally the case for Tingdene was also well stated, by a very experienced QC. We feel that the result may well be a split decision, where elements of the Appeal are allowed, others may be denied, with additional appropriate conditions attached.
The Inspector will now consider his findings, which we can expect to be published in about mid April.
This is the end of a long road. When the initial Outline Planning was so unexpectedly approved in April 2003, Ripple Parish Council actively supported the efforts of our District Councillor Roger Sutton in seeking to deny the application. This campaign was successful in April 2007 when detail planning approval on Reserved Matters was denied for both of the Tingdene developments. They have appealed that decision. I think our case was put to the Inspector with rational and comprehensive clarity.
We must await the decision of the Inspector. We will make everyone aware of his decision once the documents are available to us. Please look in the Documents section of our website if you wish to read the text of the Ripple Parish Council evidence to the Appeal.