Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when the Planning Inspectorate plans to convene a hearing into the appeal by the site owner of Tall Trees Park, Matchams Lane, Christchurch against the decision of Christchurch Borough Council in 2007 to refuse an application for a lawful development certificate; and what the reasons are for the time taken to convene that hearing.

The Lawful Development Certificate appeal was being dealt with through written representations, as requested by the appellant, and it proceeded to a site visit on 16 March 2017. Following the site visit the Inspector decided to change the procedure to an inquiry to enable evidence to be tested under oath and to link the appeal to the subsequently received enforcement appeals. We are working to resolve a number of complex issues on the enforcement appeals so that they can be started and linked as soon as possible.