Summing up by the National Park and the prospective developers: available on-line
The last stage of the 8-day Public Inquiry took place on-line (rather than in-person in Midhurst) with the ‘Closing Statements’ session beginning at 10am on Tuesday 7th March
The session included lengthy statements by the Barristers representing the South Downs National Park Authority’s planners and the opposing developers.
Having been recorded whilst being transmitted ‘live’, it can all be watched via this YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qZju-HrYiQ
A copy of the National Park’s ‘Closing Statement’ is attached at the foot of this web-page.
In April 2022 the National Park’s Planning Committee refused the planning application to develop a field near the Greenway Lane roundabout for up to 60 holiday lodges, spaces for shops and cafes, a re-charge centre for electric vehicles and internal roads with about 125 parking spaces (see here).
The developers appealed to the Government against this decision and a Public Inquiry by an Inspector appointed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities started on Tuesday 21st February.
The main participants in the Public Inquiry have been the prospective developers, their advocates and expert witnesses and the National Park’s team of planning, landscape, design and dark skies specialists.
The Parish Council submitted evidence to the Inquiry (see pdf document at the foot of this other web-page) and Councillors attended the Inquiry each day. Buriton residents and others opposed to the development have also attended the daily hearings in Midhurst.
In due course the Inspector, Mr Michael Boniface, will publish his decision as to whether the planning application should be granted or refused.
The Planning Inspectorate has a target of 29th March for publishing the decision but on some occasions decisions can take many months to arrive after an Inquiry has finished. Everyone must wait and see.
