The public inquiry into the Council’s application to acquire the Rose & Young site by a compulsory purchase order (CPO), which was due to start on the 25 April, has been adjourned by the Planning Inspectorate following a request by the Council.

The Council’s objective is to secure the redevelopment of the site and last year it granted planning permission for two schemes. Due to the lack of redevelopment of the site over a period of 20 years the Council backed compulsory purchase of the site to provide a restaurant with a hotel above. At the same time the owner of the site received planning permission for retail units with flats above.

The Council has received information that the current owner of the site is close to exchanging contracts with credible developers to build the retail units with flats above. In achieving the Council’s aims for Caterham, it was considered important to give a small amount of extra time to allow the potential exchange of contracts to be explored. As such the Planning Inspectorate has agreed to a two month adjournment of the Inquiry.

Piers Mason, Chief Planning Officer, said: “This is an important development in the process.  When using its compulsory purchase powers, the Council must act reasonably. This short adjournment will allow us to see whether an exchange of contracts will achieve the Council’s aims, else we will press on with the inquiry in the summer.”