Sheringham Tesco hearing to take months

A final resolution to the Sheringham Tesco saga looks set to be nine months away - and could be longer if the legal process drags out. Tesco bosses confirmed last night that they were expecting their high court hearing to take place towards the middle of next year and explained the legislation under which they would launch the challenge. As reported in yesterday's EDP, the company has promised to challenge the planning inspector's decision to refuse its application for a 1,500sq m store in the resort. As people at Sheringham digested yesterday's news, Tesco spokesman Nick Gellatly said: “We expect the hearing to take place towards the middle of next year.” He also revealed that the company was launching its appeal under Section 228 of the Planning Act. This meant there was no need to launch a two-stage process of initially obtaining leave to appeal and then going on to a full hearing; instead it would be possible to go straight to the full hearing, said Mr Gellatly. Eroica Mildmay, of the Sheringham Campaign Against Major Retail Overdevelopment (Scamrod), said she felt Tesco bosses were taking a risky stance. She said the precedent of land-slide 17-0 support among members of North Norfolk District Council development control committee and the planning inspector's careful and detailed report, both in favour of the campaign against Tesco, meant there was every good reason to believe the Tesco court action could fail. She added: “People I have spoken to since the news of the high court action broke have been appalled and disappointed.”