Last Wednesday,17 September 2014, the Planning Inspector held a Preliminary Inquiry Meeting at which representatives on behalf of Telford and Wrekin Council (TWC) who were represented separately both as the landowner of the proposed Station Road site and as independent planning authority , St. Modwen, the Save Newport Campaign and the owner of land off Audley Avenue , were all in attendance together with the new Inspector, Mr. Mel Middleton.
In short, as St. Modwen have not withdrawn the application for a Sainsbury’s superstore, an Inquiry is schedlued to start on 20 January 2015. The inquiry will run for 4 weeks.
The Inspector said that he had been advised by Planning Inspectorate not to view any of the documents considered at the Inquiry in 2013 nor the statements from individual local residents or local groups or bodies. The Inquiry is to be run as though the 3 weeks Inquiry held in January/February last year,did not happen.
The Inspector agreed to consider whether the Inquiry could be held at The Vic.or whether, as argued by TWC, the facilities at The Vic. and in Newport were not adequate to host a 4 week Inquiry and that the Inquiry should be in Telford.
When we hear from the Inspector his decision on the venue and other matters, we will provide further details together with a request for volunteers and help as regards the large amounts of information to be reviewed, prepared,presented etc. at the Inquiry next year.
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