I wonder if the 'admin colleague' who spoke to Hunter was confused? From the letter that objectors to the application have received, it is clear that the developer has appealed to the Planning Inspectorate for a decision based on the non-determination of the original application (as revised) by Lewisham Council.The Planning Inspectorate is the Government Department (agency?) that decides applications if they are refused by a Council and the applicant appeals. They can also make a decision if the applicant appeals because the Council has failed to determine an application within the statutory period which, from memory, is 12 weeks. This is not often done because, if the Planning Inspectorate refuses the appeal, the applicant cannot make a subsequent appeal as they could if they waited for a Council decision.

In this case, the Tewkesbury Lodge Estate Residents' Association supported the local residents in objecting to the original application, and its revised version. The Association will be submitting a formal objection to the revised application directly to the Planning Inspectorate.