Welcome to the Hilton Parish Council website

Hilton Parish Council is considering the steps that could be taken to challenge the decision to approve the rural exception housing scheme on the land at the end of Church End. The next step would involve seeking legal counsel from a barrister which will cost between £3,500 and £4,500, with no guarantee that this would overrule the decision.

When the development was proposed, the overwhelming majority of those parishioners who expressed a view were against the proposals and although it was approved by Huntingdonshire District Council (after appeal and the threat of legal action by the applicant) the Parish does not have a right of appeal unless it looks to a judicial review.

The advice from the solicitors is that the case is worth pursuing and the next spend would clarify from counsel regarding a number of points that would inform potential grounds to challenge this decision. The following steps would depend on the strength of the counsel’s advice, but may include taking the matter to full High Court judicial review which may incur further costs of circa £30,000 to £40,000. The funds for these costs could be raised through a crowd funding scheme, which is what has happened in another parish.

The Parish Council appreciates that in these COVID times parishioners may be reluctant to attend a meeting in person and would therefore welcome your input via email to either the Chairman, Peter Balicki at  or our Clerk, Nicola Webster at in time for our meeting on Thursday 20th January 2022.

We would like to know if:

1) you think the Parish Council should continue to object to the scheme and spend £3,500 to £4,500 on obtaining counsels opinion

2) you would be prepared to contribute to the higher spend if opinion is that we should continue to challenge by way of a crowd funding scheme.