Apologies for the light-heated tone of this post, but it’s hard to write a serious report given the circumstances….

The long awaited Planning Appeal for Eastern Attachments’ B2 heavy industrial application rapidly descended into farce today as the Planning Inspector adjourned the hearing immediately after opening it. The Planning Inspector seemed logical, focussed and objective, to the extent that she soon realised the hearing couldn’t proceed.

The reason was simple – Breckland District Council had booked a room that was even described to the meeting by a member of their own team as ‘sub optimal’ (or as it really was, totally unsuitable). The Planning Inspector eventually adjourned the meeting on the grounds that it wasn’t a safe environment to proceed.

Despite being formally requested by the Planning Inspector, Breckland failed to arrange microphones or audio equipment to ensure everyone could hear what was being said. The offered answer was to wheel in a portable karaoke machine with a single wired microphone, which the Inspector dismissed instantly.

Despite previous meetings on this application crowding out the much larger council chamber in Dereham, the Watton room was so small that attendees were having to be seated on chairs outside the room and craning to hear through the open door.

Then a member of the public arrived in a wheelchair and the full shortcomings of the venue were seen in all their glory.

Despite the EA Barrister making repeated attempts to force a hearing on the day (the Inspector eventually verbally slapped him down on his third attempt when he tried to say the hearing could easily be held over Zoom or the public could simply be excluded), she stuck to her guns and the hearing was adjourned.

There are several key outcomes here; 

1. It’s acutely embarrassing for Breckland to have an Appeal Hearing adjourned by the Planning Inspector through their own ineptitude;

2. The venue hire fee – from public funds – was wasted (although some of resident attendees did eat the biscuits afterwards);

3. It’s entirely probable that EA will apply for their barrister and consultant’s costs, which will be difficult for Breckland to refuse – another waste of our council tax money;

4. The revised hearing date is now essentially at the mercy of the Planning Inspector, who expected to conclude today. As the Planning Inspectorate’s workloads are laid out around six months in advance – this one was five months – it may be that her next available slot may not be until the summer.

We still hope for a swift resolution as the blight on the village caused by this matter is draining for everyone, but the ineffectiveness and failings of Breckland’s Planning team have never been more clearly demonstrated. 

Someone mentioned a brewery…