Working Document Nightmare!!

[adrianna22]

Hi everyone,

I have to send off my finalised working document by Monday.

I have completed my first draft and sent this off to my LA two weeks ago and I've still haven't heard back from them!!! Is this normal behaviour? I'm aware that they must be extremely busy, but I can't help thinking that they are doing this on purpose!

I've heard that you can continue working on the working document right up to Tribunal. Is this true? Also, I'm worried that if the LA don't agree to parts of the working document now! Then at the tribunal, we will spend time going through PART 2 and less on parts; 2 and 4! and hence the hearing will be adjourned, which I really do not want to happen.

What's the next cause of action to take?

you can work on it up to the tribunal hearing - and often even on the day you can be sent to work on it to try and get as much agreement as possible. my LA have agreed very very little of mine and most is unagreed - not much I can do I guess now until the day of the hearing. im sure they do it just to waste time

The LA is supposed to file this with the tribunal 10 working days before the hearing. If they don't, you should do so and explain that you haven't heard back from them. But it is true to say that you can continue to negotiate right up to the day of the hearing.

When is your tribunal, OP? If the LA is ignoring you, it might be worth making an application to the tribunal that they respond to the WD quickly failing which they should be prevented from contesting your amendments to it. But it's only worth doing if there's quite a lot of time before the hearing, because the tribunal will take some time to consider the application.

Which council are you dealing with? With councils that are represented by a certain firm of solicitors well known around these parts, it is unfortunately only too common for them to leave the WD to the last minute.

Hi Icimoi Can't really answer those questions as I feel like I'm being spied on. But yes, I'll definitely do what you suggested.