High Court rejects Corby resident's application for judicial review due to delays despite warehouse planning errors

The High Court had been asked to grant a judicial review into the construction of a giant warehouse towering over existing homes following a catalogue of planning blunders.

Brought by residents in Hooke Close, in Corby, after North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) approved the new warehouse despite consulting residents in a completely different street.

Hooke close resident Georgie Wallis, lead applicant in the review has said the decision is ‘shocking’.

She said: “I am very disappointed. It’s absolutely shocking. The site notices were put in the wrong place and letters were sent to the wrong addresses.”

Ms Wallis said she will now consult her solicitors.

NNC granted permission for the 160,800 sq ft industrial warehouse on the site of a former Weetabix factory in Corby was given the green light by councillors in September 2022 – with residents living next to the site only realising the scale of the warehouse after a 60ft metal frame was erected behind their homes in January 2024.

Following complaints from residents in Hooke Close, it was discovered that NNC planning officers had sent notices to Hubble Road – half a mile away – after they had muddled up two former Weetabix sites on the Earltrees Industrial Estate.

An internal NNC review found the decision to grant planning permission for new warehouse did not comply with law with local councillors and then Corby MP Tom Pursglove taking up the matter with NNC on behalf of residents in April this year.

In her written judgement Mrs Justice Lang said NNC had ‘fallen well below the standard to be expected’ as a planning authority.

She said: “There is a strong public interest in the competent and lawful processing of planning applications by local planning authorities.

"This Council has fallen well below the standard to be expected. However, its willingness to investigate its failings thoroughly in an Investigation Report, and its decision to introduce root and branch changes to its Planning Department, are encouraging.”

She added: “In my judgment, the claimant (Georgie Wallis) has a good reason for the initial delay in commencing proceedings because of the council’s (NNC) failure to send neighbour consultation letters to her.

"However, she has not demonstrated a good reason for her subsequent delay, after the ground works commenced in September 2023

“Overall, my conclusion is that the claimant has not succeeded in showing good reason to extend time. Therefore the application to extend time is refused and the application

for permission to apply for judicial review is refused.”

Cllr Jason Smithers leader of NNC said the council was ‘determined to learn from the planning issues and said the council would be strengthening ‘internal processes’.

He said: "The court’s judgement is to refuse the application to extend time to bring the judicial review claim and to refuse the application for permission to apply for judicial review.

"Although we welcome the decision of the court, we accept that there are still lessons to be learnt and improvements to be made. “We have gone through a full and thorough internal investigation to help us learn from this case and a planning improvement board has been established as part of this process.

"We are determined to learn from this and will continue to further strengthen our internal processes. Statement regarding the Court judgement in relation to the former Weetabix site at Earlstrees Industrial Estate, Corby.”