The Inquiry is due to sit over several periods of one to three weeks between 11 March and 28 July 2025, with substantial breaks in between, and both James and Michael continue to be available for instructions on other matters over this period. 

The applications, combined, propose up to 8400 homes, and include an extension to the Kent Science Park and completion of the Sittingbourne relief road on nearly 700 hectares of land. They were called in by the Secretary of State, Angela Rayner, on 7 November 2024, moments before the Council’s Planning Committee was due to consider them. The Applications affect several highly protected planning assets, including Ancient Woodland and the neighbouring Kent Downs National Landscape. 

The Secretary of State’s policy is to be “very selective about calling in planning applications”, which are generally called in only where they raise planning issues of more than local importance (see here). 

The Call-In has already attracted significant national press attention: 

Daily Mail, (here); (here); and (here)
BBC, (here)
The Express (here)
Guardian (here)