Sponsored by
Council chief accused of meeting suspended planning officer
Tuesday 3pm WEST Lindsey council leader, Bernard Theobald, who represents a Market Rasen area ward, has been accused of being one of three councillors who met with suspended planning officer Michelle Clewes and a former director of planning.
At Monday' night's full meeting of West Lindsey District Council, Coun Reg Shore - leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition - said he 'knew exactly' who was present at the meeting, which took place at the home of deputy leader Coun Adam Duguid, who has admitted himself to meeting the suspended planning officer, which he said was not solicited by him and which he reported 'at the earliest opportunity'. (see The Mail on November 25).
Coun Shore told a volatile meeting: "We now know that five people attended that meeting, ie three councillors, a previous Planning Director and the suspended officer were in attendance - the very officer who these councillors were seeking to investigate and possibly discipline.
"We are now being asked to believe that this was a purely chance and unsolicited meeting; that these five disparate characters met, miraculously, at the house of one of the councillors, by a quirk of fate – and that they did not discuss planning! Sounds very like Jackanory.
"Well, we do not believe this story and we do not believe that the public would either.
"The deputy leader has admitted to being there, the leader of this council (Coun Theobald) has yet to come clean and has denied that he was there and indeed, is still doing so, employing a schoolboy tactic of silence."
Coun Shore asked Coun Malcolm Parrish, who represents Welton, if he was the other member of the council who was present, but Coun Parrish refused to answer.
Coun Theobald, who represents the Wold View ward, which includes the Wold villages, was unwell and unable to attend the meeting, although he had been expected to make a major statement on the issue.
Coun Theobald who, until recently, was also chairman of the council's planning committee, has also been implicated in a planning application over a site at South Owersby, near Market Rasen, which he purchased last year together with fellow councillor Stuart Kinch and their wives, for 155,000.
A planning application submitted by Coun Theobald for a substantial five bedroomed dwelling on the site, was recommended for approval by planning officer Ian Dickinson, even though the previous owner of the site - Mr Robert Carter of Market Rasen - and his surveyor had both been told planning approval would not be given for a much smaller project.
West Lindsey chief executive Duncan Sharkey subsequently withdrew the application 'for legal reasons' and Coun Theobald appealed to the Planning Inspectorate on the grounds West Lindsey had not made a decision on the application.
The Audit Commission has been undertaking a full enquiry into the actions of West Lindsey's planning department and it is understood a draft report from them, which is now with West Lindsey, is extremely critical. It is not known at this stage if the report will be made public.
It is believed the Audit Commission has been examining, amongst other issues, the governance of West Lindsey and Coun Theobald's leadership style.
Unauthorised procedures in the planning department in which applications are alleged to have been withdrawn and redated without the knowledge of applicants, in order to benefit from bonuses being paid to the council from central government for completing applications within eight weeks, are understood to have been the subject of an investigation by the council's own auditors.
Coun Shore told the meeting: "This audit may well focus upon the leadership of this council and/or in the appropriateness of councillors becoming engaged in property speculation whilst holding main offices – indeed, chairmanship of the Planning Committee and the consequences which this may or may not have on public perceptions.
"No-one is suggesting that anything illegal has been going on but the question is, would the public feel such a situation to be safe?
"Would the public question the judgment of a councillor becoming engaged in such activities whilst holding such high offices?
"Would it not have been more sensible for him to have resigned from office (as chairman of planning) last August, when his planning application was live and not several months after, as has been the case."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Market Rasen
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
