The Planning Inspectorate faces pressure to hold a public inquiry for the Duke of Northumberland’s appeal against a council decision to reject plans for a residential scheme on his Syon House estate, west London.
Ralph Percy’s (pictured) Northumberland Estates is seeking to contest Hounslow Council’s decision to reject his plans to turn the Park Road allotments at Syon Park, West London, into an 80-home development. Nearly 1,000 people are thought to have objected to the redevelopment of the three-acre Isleworth site.
Community members including councillors, local MPs, allotment holders and residents have written to the inspectorate calling for the appeal to be heard through public inquiry, rather than by written representation.
Colin Barnes, planning director for Northumberland Estates, said the estate submitted a written appeal as the most efficient way in dealing with specific planning issues, and that how appeals are conducted is a decision for the Planning Inspectorate.
Salman Shaheen, Labour councillor for Isleworth, said written representation was “a move that would afford [the duke] the path of least resistance and avoid public scrutiny”.
“The case is clearly of substantial local interest,” said Shaheen, adding that written representation would not allow the community to be fully engaged with the issue. “These arguments must be properly scrutinised in full view of the public.”
In a letter signed by three Isleworth councillors including Shaheen, seen by EG, the use of green space to grow food in urban areas and ongoing lack of clarity around policy, such as the release of metropolitan open land, were cited as key public interest factors.
Other aspects included the rights of communities versus those of owners of public assets.
A previous appeal to remove the allotments as part of a larger-scale redevelopment, made by the estate, was dismissed in 2018 following a public inquiry.
The Planning Inspectorate has not responded to requests for comment.
To send feedback, e-mail pui-guan.man@eg.co.uk or tweet @PuiGuanM or @EGPropertyNews
