Day Three of the Dunsfold Gipsy Inquiry

On and on it goes.

Most of the third morning of the Public inquiry into gipsy sites in Stovolds Hill was spent with barristers scrapping amongst themselves.

The morning began badly with a vital witness stuck on the M25. He turned up many hours later.

Waverley’s barrister claimed that the appellant’s barrister, Alan Master, was not permitted under Inquiry rules to ask questions of Waverley’s expert witness regarding specific landscaping evidence. Evidence given a day earlier by Mr  Ian Dudley,  covering both of the Docherty’s appeal sites.

Counsel for Waverley’s David Lintott testily claimed that if Mr Masters were allowed to ask specific questions,

“Then this public inquiry will never be finished”

That Inquiry is already well behind schedule and the parties involved have set aside 27th of June to continue.

Well, that’s alright. Because at more than £400 per hour plus VAT – simples. Everyone in he room is laughing all the way to the bank. Some of which invoices will no doubt be paid by us, Waverley taxpayers.

However,  Mr Woods, the Appellants’ Landscaping expert, commented.

 ” To be fair, we asked the government Inspectorate to deal with the two individual family appeals separately, but it refused, which would have made a huge difference to this ( the inquiry). He said that decision had made the proceeding very difficult for everyone, including the Inspector.

Bang on target, Mr Woods.  Here at the WW, we fear for the sanity of poor  Mr Clegg, who has hidden his growing frustration to the best of his ability throughout the hearing. 

After insisting on being heard, the Inspector allowed Mr Masters to examine the evidence provided earlier by Waverley’s witness. A witness, whom he claimed had omitted to mention the UCOG fracking site, and the Industrial Units at a nearby farm. Both have been given planning consent since Docherty’s planning was refused.

Mr Woods said the view from Dunsfold Road of the appeal site would be “minimal” – views into the site would only be in the winter months, and then, very limited.

He said it was difficult to distinguish the appeal sites from the rest of the gipsy sites in Lydia Park and Stovolds Hill, saying that the appeal sites, if allowed, would cause no significant harm.

He told Inspector Richard Clegg that eyes were drawn to the much larger intensity of development in Stovolds Hill and Lydia Park, some of which is authorised. But development there had nothing to do with the Dochertys. The fundamental question was?  Would  two caravans cause more harm?

I say they will not.

He argued, though, that the appeal sites were in a natural landscape,  but they were not in a valued landscape. To the west of the site may be included, but not the land on Lydia Park to the North.  Adding,

“Neither is it a candidate for the new  National Landscape Designation. It has been excluded.”

There was much discussion about other significant developments in the area of Stovolds Hill. 

Including The Brewery at Thatched House Farm, the approved UK Oil & Gas Fracking Site at Loxley Farm, the large commercial industrial units adjacent to the site at Thatched House Farm, and the proposed development of 1,800 consented homes at Dunsfold Park – Waverley’s largest brownfield site. Earmarked for 2,300 homes and accompanying infrastructure.

However, there was no mention of the large Biodivestor in Stovolds Hill!

The Inspector said he would travel around ‘the whole area’ of Stovolds Hill, including to the entrance gates of Dunsfold Park and along the Dunsfold Road to view the “fracking site.

The Inquiry continues.