In reply to Stewart Palmer (Echo, June 25) How right Mr Palmer is and he has every reason to be concerned.

The Judicial Review judgement concerning the grant of planning consent at Bridport for the biggest ever housing development in the country situated in an scheduled as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Read more: Letter: Stop 'Norchester' development

The Judge's comments about the planning officers concerned are not complimentary, peppered with comments such as 'This Report does not meet that bare minimum standard'.

The Report did not properly address 'a matter material to the decision the Council had to take'.

'I can see no explanation for that omission beyond sloppiness on the part of the authors'.

Many of the planners involved with this application are now actively involved in the North Dorchester project.

The council officers are nevertheless pressing ahead with the Dorchester North site regardless of the lockdown, as though it was already included in the Local Plan.

That is something that is also being worked on based on housing requirements prepared by the Government well before the advent of Coronavirus and even the Brexit vote, so they are most likely hopelessly out of date.

Cllr David Walsh who is Dorset Council's planning portfolio holder is quoted on his Twitter feed in March 2018 with 'At every opportunity I have told Ministers that Local Authorities do give planning permissions but they are not responsible for the delivery of housing'.

Yet, by allowing this to continue unchecked, that is exactly what he and his colleagues are doing, whilst being led by their officers who now have extraordinary powers granted to them by the Dorset Council Constitution.

If these officers continue to produce reports for consideration and decision making by councillors where 'sloppiness' is the norm and where the bare minimum is done to consult the public then those members should be very concerned at what is being done in their name.

Gerald Duke

Martinstown