The barristers who represented the Cabinet Office at the area plan for the east inquiry cost the taxpayer between £50,000 and £75,000.

It was revealed in a Freedom of Information request that John Barrett had been paid £200 per hour to represent the Cabinet Office.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: ’On the days that Mr Barrett could not be in attendance, Piers Riley-Smith, a barrister also from Kings Chambers, Manchester, provided counsel for Cabinet Office.

’The total due for their engagement was between £50k and £75k plus VAT which includes preparation time and attendance/prep for the pre-inquiry meeting.’

The government also revealed that objectors to the plan were not entitled to legal aid as it was ’an inquisitorial process and not adversarial’.

The FoI response added: ’Regarding the appointment of legal representation for the Cabinet Office, it is important to bear in mind that Cabinet Office is acting for the public at large to ensure adequate zoning of all types of land and not for or against any particular party.

’It is an inquisitorial process and not adversarial and so does not have the same degree of determination of individuals’ rights as legal proceedings for which legal aid can be granted.’

However, the view that the inquiry was not adversarial isn’t one shared by some of those who gave evidence.

Onchan MHK Rob Callister said Mr Barrett had ’defended the departmental line on all sites put forward’.

He questioned the view that he was ’acting for the public at large’.

Mr Callister said: ’I was representing the people of Onchan and I don’t think he was representing our constituency in any way.’

Chairman of Braddan Commissioners Andrew Jessopp said ’in a case with winners and losers, it is adversarial’. He said at the inquiry, people were referred to as ’proposers’ and ’objectors’ by inquiry chairman Michael Hurley.

On his profile page on the Kings Chambers website, it is stated that Mr Barrett ’acts for many of the UK’s leading developers and house builders’.

It adds: ’He acts for most of the major housebuilders including Taylor Wimpey, Persimmon, Redrow, Wainhomes, Seddon Homes, McCarthy & Stone and Tensi Homes and Heritage Homes.’

The Heritage Homes referred to is not linked to the island developer the Dandara Group.

Chambers

Dandara was represented at the area plan inquiry by Ian Ponter, another barrister from the King Chambers.

The Cabinet Office spokesman said: ’It is not uncommon for barristers in the same chambers to be on the opposite sides of adversarial party-party litigation. There is no conflict of interest between barristers in the same firm appearing at an inquiry.

’Had any barrister felt in a position of conflict they would need to excuse themselves from acting further.

’Mr Barrett was selected for his experience.

’He also acts for large clients in England and Wales who have an interest in the planning process and policy.’