I believe that the current system favours those with the deepest pockets, who are usually those wishing to push through something that the public do not wish to see happen. Furthermore, these are sometimes local authority departments. If they believe so much in their scheme, then they should be the ones who promote it at this stage.
The Inspector is supposed to be the independent arbiter, therefore, he or she is the person who can best judge the merits of the individual arguments.
There is a considerable cost saving that could be achieved by cutting out the huge fees paid to these legal experts, together with a restoration in public confidence in the public inquiry system. It will balance the playing field and potentially stop schemes being adopted that are genuinely not in the public interest.