People are fuming about this development – and NO ONE at the council bothered turning up to a meeting about it

Manchester council did not send anyone to a public inquiry taking place just metres away from the town hall this morning (May 23) after making a U-turn on a controversial development. The plans for a block of 75 apartments at the Tesco car park in East Didsbury were rejected by the local authority last year.

But the council has since said it will not defend its decision to refuse planning permission for the flats off Parrs Wood Avenue. It comes after Dandara, the developer behind the Blackbird Yard scheme, lodged an appeal, leading to a public inquiry into the plans which were subject to more than 200 objections.

Local residents and their councillors who protested against the plans spoke at the public inquiry which is taking place this week at Friends Meeting House in Mount Street. But no one from the town hall was actually there when it started.

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Planning inspector Claire Searson, who will have the final say on whether the block of flats can be built, repeatedly remarked on how strange the situation was. She said: "This is a slightly unusual inquiry in that the council aren't here – I would have expected someone from the council to be here just to assist."

Addressing the cameras which were broadcasting the inquiry online, she summoned the council to send someone after she was informed that the relevant representative from the town hall was watching the livestream. She asked where the officer was again when no one had turned up for half an hour.

Representing the developer, barrister Paul Tucker KC said the circumstances of this inquiry are unique in his 30 years of experience. Eventually, the case officer who dealt with the planning application for