City firm Herbert Smith claims to have set new levels of transparency in large public inquiries by providing full documentation over the Internet in relation to the Bathside Bay planning inquiry that closed last week.

The firm, which is acting for Hutchinson Ports (UK) in relation to a proposed £300 million development of the Bathside Bay container terminal in Harwich, Essex, provided the documents on the Planning Inspectorate's Web site.


All Hutchinson Ports' planning application documents were posted on the site, along with evidential material and a transcript of proceedings updated by 8pm in the evening throughout the 22-week inquiry.


Links to the relevant statutory instruments were also provided on the site.


Herbert Smith associate Howard Bassford said: 'We provided a complete set of documents to make life easier for us, because we did not then have to maintain our own database.


'It made things completely transparent in a process where the participation of the public is key.


It means that objectors or supporters who may be working on the inquiry at home can access the information remotely and find out what is going on.'


He added: 'This is currently best practice, but in the light of the leaning towards e-government, it is likely the government will want more use of this type of resource.


'I can envisage it becoming compulsory in a short space of time, though it will probably be as an addition to paper documents rather than an alternative.'


The results of the Bathside Bay inquiry are expected to be announced in 2005.