Newmarket development

Forest Heath District Council is not at fault in this issue and has issued a strong rebuttal to recent misinformed letters in the Newmarket Journal. The council's letter was published in the Journal on 24 April.
The council objected to the development in Bury Road, Newmarket, on the grounds of: inadequate landscaped setting of the four buildings; loss of trees; risk of damage to surviving trees; lack of contribution to education, given the impact that the development would have on local schools.
The developers, knowing the council was intending to refuse the application, lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate - rather than wait for the committee decision in early July 2006. Forest Heath District Council engaged a barrister and three expert witnesses and fought hard at the appeal to have the application rejected. But the Planning Inspectorate took a different view, and his decision stands, whether or not the Council agrees with it.
The only opportunity to challenge an appeal decision is on a legal or procedural error apparent in the decision and there are none in this case.
The Planning Inspectorate permitted a large number of trees on the site to be removed, but two further trees, not subject to a Tree Preservation Order, were removed by the developer without approval. The council has secured a commitment to additional replacement planting which will be enforced.
There have been meetings and correspondence between the council and the action group. This factual information above has been given to the group on a number of occasions.
This decision to approve the development is from the Planning Inspectorate – the central government agency which determines planning appeals. FHDC remains very disappointed and frustrated with the decision having put significant effort into the application and appeals process.

Forest Heath DC