Development plans have cost the taxpayer a staggering £2.8m.

Maldon District Council’s “unsound” Local Development Plan is said to be costing a further £40,000 per month.

District councillor Adrian Fluker, who is ward member for Southminster, said: “This is an enormous amount of money and is equivalent to the annual rateable income for a village the size of Southminster."

Since being told the plan was “unsound” because it lacked provision for travellers, the council has written a strongly worded letter to planning inspector David Vickery.

The council fears that any delay of the plan will result in “expensive” evidence becoming outdated “resulting in even more knock-on work and expense for the council”.

 

See the Maldon and Burnham Standard for the full report.