THE planning inspector will visit Littleport on March 3 to hear the appeal of a businessman who has been locked in a battle with the district council over an alleged breach of planning permission. Steven Layn, owner of furniture outlet business The Home,

THE planning inspector will visit Littleport on March 3 to hear the appeal of a businessman who has been locked in a battle with the district council over an alleged breach of planning permission.

Steven Layn, owner of furniture outlet business The Home, appealed to the planning inspector in August 2009 after East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC) ruled that he had breached the terms of his planning permission and ordered him to cease trading.

The council served Mr Layn with a joint 'stop' and 'enforcement' notice because it believed the site, based on the Saxon Business Park, was being used primarily for retail which it said, was a breach of the store's planning permission.

The store owners have questioned the strength of the council's arguments however, and have even drafted the support of MP for North East Cambridgeshire Malcolm Moss.

"We have done everything in our power to reach a settlement with ECDC. We believe that we have a right to provide local jobs for local people by creating a viable business, said Mr Layn.

"Our local economy is in dire economic circumstances and Littleport needs every new job that can be created. We are confident that the inspector will recognise the strength of our case and find in favour of a growing business that employs local people."

The planning inspector will hear The Home's appeal at the E-space North Business Park on Wisbech Road, where evidence from all interested parties will be presented.

The inspector will then retire to consider a ruling, which can typically take around 20-30 weeks to be processed and published.