The Planning Committee didn’t publish their decision to reject this application within the permitted timeframe so that automatically gave the applicant the right to appeal (basis of non-determination). 

The Council then held an extraordinary planning meeting where councillors were asked to vote again to reject/support the application.

I quote Nick Dobbs:

‘As predicted, this meeting was yet another excruciating attempt by BCP Planning and Legal Officers to manipulate our democratically elected Councillors into reversing the decision of 2nd October 2023 which refused planning permission to develop Highmoor Farm into a Nuffield Private Hospital and Innovation Quarter.’

One supporting councillor then published a tirade on Facebook against the councillors who spoke against the application in this meeting. The overall message was that the decision would likely cost the cost the Council in excess of £100,000 to fight the appeal.

It begs the question, if the decision had been published in timely manner, would they now be in this position? Who/what put a spanner in the works so that the publication of the decision was delayed? Was someone relying on the rejecting councillors’ minds being changed?

While all this political posturing is going on, it leaves Highmoor Farm still at risk and still allocated in the new Local Plan which is currently in consultation phase, albeit a smaller part of it (the number of allocated hectares has been reduced). 

The Council appears to not be able to see outside of its own front door. Every day more wildlife habitat is being lost. It’s lost sight of this  and it is our precious natural environment which suffers. How representative of what is going on everywhere!