It is now over 10 weeks since the Tory dominated East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC)  planning fiasco that resulted in plans for hundreds of new homes across East Riding receiving the green light due to the incompetence of Tory Councillors.

Goodbye To The Countryside

Instead of holding their hands up and admitting their failure to the residents, there was an attempt to hide behind the mantra that the council is “to launch a High Court appeal“.

Sadly this was just mere smoke and mirrors. Those with the most basic understanding of Planning were immediately aware of the truth.

Judicial Review

A few basic facts:

1. Only the Applicant can Appeal a Planning decision.
2. ERYC was not the Applicant.
3. Like all other Planning decisions, the decision could be challenged via a Judicial Review.
4. Challenges to Planning decisions via a Judicial Review MUST take place within six weeks.
5. The case for a Judicial Review must be proven Arguable before it can proceed.
6. Grounds proving that a case is Arguable is that the law was not correctly applied.

We are now ten weeks down the line and it is of no surprise that there is silence from County Hall as the clock has run out weeks ago!

Costs Involved

Disgraced former ERYC Deputy Leader Tory Councillor Mike Stathers displayed a total lack of understanding as to the cost of a Judicial Review when claiming he had been assured by a senior officer that:

“the council’s bill would be ‘no more than £20,000’.”

I would advise Mike that he is in the Land of the Cuckoos. To engage suitably qualified and experienced legal representation for a Judicial Review would result in a charge in the region of £40,000. In addition to this are the costs of the other party if you lose.

There is no wonder Cllr Stathers is no longer Deputy Leader.

Opposition Councillors

I politely suggest that the Opposition Councillors need to ask what the hell happened!

East Riding residents deserve to know the truth especially those in Pocklington, Swanland, Stamford Bridge…

Further Information

• ERYC Catastrophic Planning Failure – Inspectors Report – 5 April 2021
• ERYC Catastrophic Planning Failure – 26 March 2021