Intro

On Wednesday 28 January 2009 the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears, published her decision to call in the Master Plan application for the Park and the National Sports Centre (NSC).

The Master Plan application was granted permission by the Planning Committee at Bromley Council on the 9 December 2008, which had been supported by the Mayor.

Such a call in will normally result in a Local Inquiry which will be held by a planning inspector, who is appointed by the Secretary of State. The Inquiry will probably be later this year, a prompt determination is expected.

Notes are published on this website, to explain the process and includes a document from the the CPRG Planning appeal website.

Read through the notes by selecting chapters from menu below, select more:

Summary

1.0 Summary 1.1 The Secretary of State (SoS) has the power to "call-in" planning applications for determination rather than let local planning authorities decide (for example if they conflict with national policies on important matters). 1.2 The decision on whether to

Procedure - Outline

2.1 Circular 05 / 00 explains the procedures for handling planning appeals and call-ins. This Circular highlights the main ways in which all three procedures – written representations, hearings and inquiries – are operated under the procedural rules of determining planning

Pre-Inquiry Meeting: Rule 5

3.1 Pre-inquiry meetings will be held when the Secretary of State (SoS) expects an inquiry to last for 8 days or more. Rule 5 will normally apply in the case of all inquiries to which the Code of Practice for preparing for Major Planning Inquiries is applied. 3.2 Rule 5 (2)

Statement of Case

4.1 The Statement of Case should contain full particulars of the case. It should contain: The planning and legal arguments.Cited statutory provisions and case law as necessary.A description of the evidence.A list of all documents that a party will rely on when presenting

Inquiry Date

5.1 The Secretary of State (SoS) aims to set a date for inquiries as soon as possible. Each party can refuse a proposed date only once, before the SoS will proceed to fix a time, date and venue for the inquiry. Once a date has been fixed, it will only be changed for

Appearances at the Inquiry

6.1 In practice, anyone who wishes to appear at the inquiry will be able to do so, as long as they have something relevant to say that has not already been said. next Proofs of Evidence

Proofs of Evidence

7.1 Any person entitled to appear at the inquiry and attends to present is required to send a specified number of copies of their proof of evidence to the SoS within a certain time frame. 7.2 Where a summary is provided, only that summary and not the full proof will be read

Statement of Common Ground

8.1 The Local Planning Authority (LPA) and the applicant will ensure that the Secretary of State has received a Statement of Common Ground 4 weeks before the fixed date of the inquiry. next Enquiry Procedure

Inquiry Procedure

9.1 Local Planning Authority (LPA) shall give evidence first. The applicant will have right of final reply. Only the applicant, LPA and any other statutory party have an entitlement to be cross-examined. However, the Inspector may permit other persons to do so. 9.2