Considers the likely implications for developers of a landmark High Court ruling in a case involving Wilson Bowden and a proposed development scheme in Rochdale. Suggests the ruling could open the floodgates to objectors and radically change the British planning system. In this case the court ruled that the Rochdale planning consent should be overturned on the grounds that the illustrative plans, traditionally used as the basis for an outline application, were insufficient in the eyes of European law. The Rochdale judgment insists that developers determine the exact make-up of their schemes at the outline application stage, thus effectively negating the point of traditional outline applications which give an indicative idea to planners on large projects. The British Property Federation has commissioned a research project into the implications of the case. Considers whether it can be regarded as a one-off ruling, and looks at the worst case scenario.