Campaigners accuse planning boss of bias over Newport homes scheme

Members of the Save Newport Campaign group have lodged a formal complaint with Telford & Wrekin Council managing director Richard Partington over the "behaviour" of planning committee chairman Councillor John Minor.

Group members say Councillor Minor "did not act in an impartial manner" during a debate at last Wednesday's planning committee meeting over development plans for green fields at Station Road.

Committee members discussed putting off their decision until a site visit could be arranged – but in the end voted five to three against the proposal.

But during their discussion, Councillor Minor said members had already visited the site in 2012 when part of the land – owned by Telford & Wrekin – was earmarked for a Sainsbury's supermarket.

During that visit the safety of committee members was put at risk by anti-supermarket protesters who surrounded the bus on its arrival, Councillor Minor told the meeting.

The Save Newport Campaign claims Councillor Minor's "rants" influenced the decision not to hold a new site visit.

In the letter to Mr Partington, the Save Newport campaigners wrote: "(Councillor Minor) influenced the voting on the proposed site visit to see the extent of the open space greenfield land at Station Road.

"His various rants to the effect that a site visit was never/not going to happen before even a formal request was made and the intimidatory manner in which he addressed a member of the committee, including bringing in party political issues, clearly breached the requirement for the plans committee chairman to act in an unbiased and impartial manner."

The letter also complains that Councillor Minor used the issue of safety "as a reason to justify not having a further site visit".

However, it adds: "If Councillor Minor or others has concerns about safety then surely the legal officer to the committee should take the advice of the police before any decision not to visit is taken."

Councillor Minor said today the case being made against him by the Save Newport Campaign was now with the council's legal department.

"The sites on that application have been visited at least twice," he added.

Allegations about conduct are dealt with by the council's standards committee.

Russell Griffin, spokesman for Telford & Wrekin Council, said today: "Each member of the planning committee had the opportunity to discuss the applications and vote as they considered appropriate.

"A vote took place and the site visit was rejected. As with any public meeting held by Telford & Wrekin Council, we strongly believe that it is of utmost importance that councillors act and behave in appropriate ways."