CAMPAIGNERS may have a long wait to hear whether controversial plans to build 320 homes on farmland at Rownhams are either turned down or approved.

A public inquiry into Commercial Estates scheme at Parkers Farm in the village was due to be held this week but the hearing was cancelled because the inspector was taken ill and unable to travel.

A spokesperson for the Planning Inspectorate said: “I can confirm that the inquiry has been postponed. The reason is that the Inspector is unwell and unable to travel. Parties to the appeal have been advised of this and we will re-arrange a mutually convenient date in the near future for the inquiry.”

Test Valley councillors turned down the application which includes a 60-bed care home and a livery last October and Commercial Estates appealed against the decision.

However, since rejecting the scheme, the borough council has removed many of its original reasons for turning the application down.

Tony Seaton from the campaign group ‘Say No to Parkers Farm’ said: “This land is safe from development for a few months longer. I understand that it will now be later in the year before the public inquiry is held. We have discovered that the planning inspector Mr Colin Ball is a keen environmentalist and that he turned down four out of five appeals that he dealt with in one year. We hope the same happens with this application.”