Sir John Whittingdale has written to the Planning Inspectorate expressing his support for Maldon District Council’s decision to reject a proposed large-scale development in the constituency. In his letter, he highlights concerns about the impact of additional housing on local infrastructure and the importance of respecting decisions made by locally elected councils.
Sir John said “I fully understand the strength of local feeling about large-scale developments in my constituency. Many have valid concerns about the pressure already facing local infrastructure, such as schools, GPs and roads. Local councils determine individual planning applications, and I am always of the view that the local authority’s opinion should be supported. As such, I trust in locally elected officials, who rightfully decide planning matters at a local level. However, in this case, I felt it appropriate to make clear my support for Maldon District Council’s decision to reject this application. Given the scale of the proposed development and the significant impact on the surrounding area, I have written to the Planning Inspectorate to ask them to reject the appeal for this application.”