The Secretary of State has decided NOT to call in the planning application for 1,200 houses and playing fields in Cell A and B1 of Newcastle Great Park. National Planning Casework Unit has advised the government remains committed to giving more power to councils to make decisions on planning issues. We are putting together a pre-action protocol for judicial review and will be submitting this to Newcastle City Council imminently. The application is unlawful in planning terms and failed to take into account several key issues. As such, there are strong grounds for judicial review. Although the prospect of legal action can be daunting, it is the only means of holding the local authority and developers to account. Thank you to everyone who took the time to write to the Secretary of State.