The appeal against the Sheering Mill Lane enforcement notice goes to a three-day public inquiry from 26 January 2027. A decision is due by 26 April.

The appeal against East Herts Council’s enforcement notice on the land off Sheering Mill Lane, Sawbridgeworth, will be heard at a public inquiry starting on Tuesday 26 January 2027. The Planning Inspectorate expects it to last three days.

The council announced the date on its page about the site, last updated at 9am on Tuesday 10 November. It says a decision on the appeal is currently expected by 26 April 2027 (East Herts Council, Sheering Mill Lane).

The inquiry will be open to the public. Residents will be able to send representations to the Planning Inspectorate. The council says details of how to attend, any livestream, and the deadlines for representations will be published once they are confirmed.

Who appealed, and who did not

The enforcement notice requires the landowners to put the site back to its former condition. The land is split between owners, and they have taken different routes:

  • The owner of one part was given access from Monday 21 September to start the restoration work. The council warned neighbours to expect vehicles and machinery while it went on.
  • The owners of the other part have appealed against the notice. That is the appeal now going to inquiry.

The council’s page does not say how much of the land each part covers, or on what grounds the appeal was made. The Planning Inspectorate has not yet published the appeal papers in a form we could find.

Why an inquiry matters

An enforcement appeal can be decided in one of three ways: on written papers, at an informal hearing, or at a public inquiry. An inquiry is the most formal. Each side can call witnesses, and witnesses can be cross-examined. The inspector then decides whether the notice stands, is changed or is quashed.

The court case runs separately

The appeal is separate from the High Court injunction. The court continued that injunction on 15 September, with powers of arrest, until a full trial. The order lists that trial for the first available date after 1 January 2027, with a time estimate of one day. Our report on the September hearing has the detail.

So two processes on the same land now run into early 2027:

Date Decided by
Enforcement notice appeal Public inquiry from 26 January 2027, three days A planning inspector, decision expected by 26 April 2027
Injunction Trial on the first available date after 1 January 2027 The High Court

The works began on Saturday 29 August. The council served a temporary stop notice that morning and won an injunction that night. An amended injunction with a power of arrest followed in the early hours of Monday 31 August, and the site was cleared with no arrests. Our earlier reports cover that weekend and the council’s letter asking the Government for tougher powers.

What it means for you

  • Want to have your say? Representations go to the Planning Inspectorate, not the council. The deadline has not been set yet. Watch the council’s Sheering Mill Lane page, which says it will publish it.
  • Want to watch? The inquiry is open to the public. Whether it will be livestreamed is still to be confirmed.
  • Live nearby? Restoration work on the part of the site that was not appealed can bring vehicles and machinery onto the lane.