Cathedral Group sparks row on first day of Smithfield inquiry
THE BATTLE over the future of Smithfield began in earnest yesterday as developer Henderson and opposition group Save gathered at the Guildhall for the first day of the public inquiry.
The 12-day hearing started with a row over whether Save could bring new evidence from a rival developer Cathedral, which has done its own report backing Save’s argument that it is viable to retain all of the Victorian architecture.
Henderson, which has pledged to retain around 75 per cent of the original general market and fish market buildings, said bringing evidence late to the inquiry showed “absolute contempt for the rules”.
Inspector Colin Ball, who is leading the inquiry, ruled out Save using Cathedral as a witness, but agreed that it could stand in as a third party or submit a statement.