BCP Council ran out of time to complete documents when an appeal was lodged against a refused hospital application.
Talbot Village Trust and Nuffield Health have lodged an appeal on their refused and controversial planning applications for a new hospital and ‘innovation quarter’.
At a lengthy planning committee meeting in October, BCP councillors rejected the new multi-million-pound investment at Highmoor Farm in Poole.
However, a decision notice has yet to be issued by the local authority.
The applicants have since appealed to the planning inspectorate.
Ultimately, the documents - which require details to avoid legal implications - were not completed in time, the council has revealed.
Cllr Millie Earl, deputy leader of BCP Council and the portfolio holder for connected communities, said after the refusal, the final wording for the reasons for refusal were still being written before the applicants launched their non-determination appeal.
Read more: Nuffield Health appeal against hospital rejection on farm
She added: “Before determining the application with this wording, and therefore potentially entering the council into a legal process which could cost a significant amount of money, it is vital that our planning officers provide the committee with the information necessary for them to decide if the reasons for refusal are defensible enough to withstand an appeal.
“A notice has not been published because this work is ongoing.
“An appeal means that the inspector (or the Secretary of State) will now decide whether to allow or refuse this appeal.”
As reported, the application was thrown out by councillors over fears the development would bring too many people to the protected heathland, too many car parking spaces and that it would not protect the green infrastructure.
A spokesperson for the applicants said the appeal was made after “no formal decision notice [was] issued by BCP in the eight weeks since committee”.
Meanwhile, naturalist Nick Dobbs, one of more than 7,000 residents who objected to the proposals, told the Echo he and “a lot of other people” will continue to fight for the green space and nature.
In an appeal notice, it is estimated the planning inspectorate will need four days to hear from six witnesses in an inquiry.
A decision has not yet been made on the appeal.
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