Day Six of Gladman Inquiry

Yesterday saw another beautiful morning as the opposing teams and other attendees trooped back into the now familiar Carlsberg Suite at Crewe Alex at the earliest hour yet, a prompt 9.00am start.

Gladman's team was much reduced with just two players and two subs on the bench. This sparsity was, however, broken later in the morning when six new attendees arrived, all graduate planners working for Gladman, or cheerleaders as Cheshire East's barrister called them.

Think what you will of Gladman Developments, they are doing wonders for graduate employment.

Examination

The whole morning was given over to examination of Kevin Waters, another Gladman employee, on the subject of Planning Policy and Balance. Those of us interested in Audlem tourism were delighted to hear he had visited the village on many occasions. Indeed, his glowing description of Audlem was noted in detail and may make its way into next year's village events leaflet.

Mr Waters achieved a new record, even by his own giddy heights at this hearing, of being asked to speak up after uttering just one word. For the record, we would like to say what that word was but unfortunately we couldn't hear it.

Soon into his appearance, Mr Waters described himself as, from an early age, something of a planning geek, collecting obscure papers and judgements on planning issues. Oh for the days of train spotting or bird watching as juvenile interests. Planning should not be for the very young.

Then it was into Objectively Assessed Need where it is very clear everyone can be entirely objective but the results still end up poles apart.

Environmental

As we moved into environmental issues, Mr Waters made an unnecessary blunder, as an aside telling the Inquiry that he had, last weekend, been chopping down a shrub in his garden when he found a blackbird's nest. We can only hope the chopping stopped immediately and the shrub did not become chopped. If so, a criminal offence may have been committed and the boys in blue could yet interrupt proceedings.

When Mr Anthony Crean QC, for Cheshire East Council started his cross-examination, Mr Waters was said to be: "Not a lawyer. You are without any legal qualification whatsoever." To prove the point, the QC slipped effortlessly into Latin to the bemusement of all with the sole exception of Gladman's barrister, Mr John Barrett, who may or may not have understood. We will never know.

At one stage, as Mr Crean waded in, we suspect the witness may have wished train spotting had been his youthful forte but, in the interests of fairness, he proved extremely resilient under fire, despite some of his evidence being described as "parasitical."

At another stage, after a long and convoluted response from Mr Waters, Anthony Crean QC said: "We want our conversation to remain convivial and delightful but a little more discipline is required of the witness in his answers."

Sustainable Development

A lengthy cross-examination on 'Sustainable Development' followed at which point even Julius Caesar made an appearance, at least in a quote, fortunately this time in English rather than Latin.

Despite Mr Crean's blows raining down, and even with the assistance of Caesar's legions, we have to admit that Mr Waters was an assured and feisty witness capable of mounting a counter-attack as we discussed in detail the protection of the countryside. If only he hadn't tried to chop down that shrub during the nesting season.

The cross-examination had explored in great detail interpretations of planning guidelines and Inspectors' decisions and their reasoning. To give a full flavour of the exchanges would require another 10,000 words, indeed possibly 100,000. They, doubtless, will be in the final report.

At the lunch break, your reporters had to leave for another appointment. The afternoon was to be taken up discussing conditions on any approved plan and a site visit to Little Heath where, we were glad to note, the hedgerow much debated over the past week is in full bloom, looking quite splendid and doubtless full of nesting birds.

Tomorrow, starting at 9.30am, the Inquiry moves, hopefully, to closing statements and maybe costs.

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