EAST Devon District Council (EDDC) has set aside £50,000 for legal fees due to the increased likelihood of planning appeals.
The authority, which currently has no Local Plan in place, has earmarked the amount in its budget for 2104/15.
“It’s impossible to say whether an appeal can be linked to the lack of a Local Plan or whether it may be for other unconnected reasons,” said a spokesman. The budget for the council’s planning policy budget for 2013/14 was increased by £110,000 to cover Local Plan inquiry costs - which includes staffing, Inspector’s fees and advertising.
A further £50,000 is held in reserve.
With the Inquiry running in February and March, the spokesman said that costs ‘may slip into 2014/15’.
“The balance of any underspend will be carried forward to 2014/15. At this point in time the budget will cover the estimated costs, which so far are £25,000,” he added.
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