Councillor will 'put money where mouth is' to fight appeal

BCP Council will fight against Nuffield Health and Talbot Village Trust's appeal to the Planning Inspectorate when it goes to a public enquiry in April.

One councillor said she is “prepared to put her money where her mouth is” to defend the refusal against the planning application for Highmoor Farm.

However, senior officers along with the chair and deputy chair were keen to point out that they did not believe the reasons for refusal would suffice.

Should the authority lose the appeal which was lodged on grounds of non-determination, it could have “substantial costs", the meeting heard.

CGI of the planned hospital (Image: Townshends/Kendall Kingscott/Nuffield Health)

It is believed the bill could be in the hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Planning committee chair Cllr Marion Le Poidevin, appeared reluctant to fight the appeal, warning the reasons for refusal were not strong enough. 

She said: “It was reported to me that the applicant or somebody to do with them, [said] after the original decision ‘that this will bankrupt the council’. 

“Knowing our financial position, if we have a very strong case it would be found in our favour. 

“All the advice we are getting from our local officers and much more broadly from council is that these reasons do not stack up and we would most likely lose any appeal.” 

Cllr Paul Hilliard, deputy chair of the committee, said he didn’t believe the reasons for refusal were strong enough.  

He added: “I think revising our position to put our hands up and say ‘we considered the situation but we don’t think our objections were robust enough’ seems to be the way forward.” 

However, Cllr Kate Salmon, who voted to refuse the application, said she was prepared to stand up for the farmland when the application goes to a public inquiry. 

She said: “Hearing everything that has been said and taking everything into account, I think we should uphold the refusal we put forward. 

Read more: Talbot Innovation Quarter and Highmoor Farm plans explained

“I am prepared to stand up and put my money where my mouth is.” 

Ward councillor Phil Broadhead said: “In what looks to many to be a case of the council being unhappy that councillors didn't agree with the officer recommendation, this committee was essentially asked to think again in a further meeting.” 

He accused the council of “almost handing a free pass” to Nuffield Health and Talbot Village Trust. 

Fellow ward councillor Matthew Gillett added: “I think it’s worth the committee listening to the residents who are quite knowledgeable.” 

Cllr Karen Rampton told the committee it has been “undermined and unsupported, sworn to secrecy on some very dubious grounds, in effect gags”. 

Councillors will have to make their case against the application to the Planning Inspectorate during a four-day inquiry due to be held at the end of April. A final decision could be made in May.