The Diocesan Registrar has explained the Church of England planning system. Should planning approval be granted by Harrogate Borough Council then the Diocesan Chancellor (QC) can grant a faculty (planning permission), an appeal against this can result in a court hearing with experts giving evidence before him.
Explanatory e-mail below (dated 4th April 2001) from Phil Willis MP .
“I have now met the Bishop's representative. He has explained the procedures that the CE will go through. There will be a full court hearing of the plan which may because of the interest have to be held in a crown court in Leeds or York. I have stressed the need to have the hearing as local as possible. Harrogate court has sufficient facilities though I understand that this may become a national media occasion. The benefit for local residents is that they will have a chance to present arguments and express their concerns and should the CE feel that their 'ministry' would be affected by an affirmative decision they are likely to refuse. That would be a major change given the Archbishop of Canterbury's stance to date”.
