AN INQUIRY to decide the future of 130 people living full-time on a holiday park without planning permission will end today.
Planning inspector John Braithwaite was yesterday taken on a tour of Lakeminster Park, Woodmansey.
The inquiry has heard appeals by Lakeminster Park Ltd against East Riding Council's refusal to grant retrospective planning permission.
It has also heard appeals against council enforcement notices.
Resident Alan Coates, represented separately from Lakeminster Park Ltd, contends making people leave the park would contravene the Human Rights Act as it would affect their private and family life.
In her submission to the inquiry, East Riding Council's barrister Nicola Allan stated: "The council's case is that the interference with the residents' rights would be to achieve a legitimate aim, namely the economic wellbeing of the country which includes protection of the environment and the operation of planning system in the public interest."
After today's final submissions, a final decision will still be several weeks away.
Mr Braithwaite has said his role will be to establish what harm is caused by this development and balance that against the impact on residents of them being forced to move.
One argument against allowing the residents to stay and simply granting them planning permission to live there as they have already for several years is the fear it would set a precedent for other park homes developers.
Barristers for both sides have argued the relevance of similar cases that have gone before.
East Riding Council cited the case of property developer Alan Beesley and his wife Sarah, a couple who disguised their £500,000 home as a hay barn. They tried to outwit council planners by disguising their house as a windowless barn and surrounding it with farmyard machinery.
The couple lost a legal battle against Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council to stay in the property.
In another case cited by the council, Surrey farmer Robert Fidler built a dream house and surrounded it with bales of hay to hide it from the council.
He hoped to take advantage of a law stating that if there are no objections to a building within four years, the owner can keep it. He was ordered to demolish it.
Representing Lakeminster Park Ltd, David Manley QC pointed out both those cases were "highly unusual", so could not be compared with a large park homes site which has sat in plain view for years.
Those cases were mentioned by the authority to illustrate previous enforcement in relation to planning policy. Today it is likely to put forward arguments regarding the Human Rights Act.
