In sight of the finish line...

On the penultimate day of the inquiry, this long and painful process feels like at last it is drawing to a close. Today it was traffic and, like Hallam's River Mease pollution mitigation scheme, their cobbled-together traffic scheme limped in front of the inspector.

Basically, there is an insurmountable problem caused by the Packington Nook site being the wrong side of town to all the places everyone will want to go. The secondary schools, health centre, Tesco, trips to Nottingham, Leicester, Derby. Hallam have spent the past 2 weeks on their traffic model that is meant to show how this works - and it doesn't. Too much traffic onto the A42 at J13 isn't want the Highways Authority want...too much off the A42 onto local roads isn't want the County Council want. Stalemate. And whilst they were working this out behind the scenes, we weren't even given a copy of the latest Hallam plan.

Everyone can see why they haven't got a solution. The problem is insurmountable. Short of building an enormous bridge over the town centre, they are completely stumped.

At the end of the day, the inquiry had to discuss conditions "in case" the inspector feels like allowing planning permission. Things like how many trees, height of roads etc. But it feels a bit academic. The whole thing has turned into a farce.

Friday is closing statements. We're up first, so get there early to hear what we have to say. Our final volley of shots across the crisp tablecloths in the Lys Room.