Ban councillors from making money from planning system in their area, Labour's Hilary Benn tells Eric PicklesCouncillors should be banned from making money from the planning system in their local areas, Labour has told Local Government secretary Eric Pickles.
Hilary Benn, Mr Pickles’ Labour’s shadow, said that Mr Pickles had a duty to ban the “lobbying for reward” culture among councillors.
Labour intervened after The Daily Telegraph disclosed how councillors had been setting up consultancies to advise developers how to win planning permissions.
Mr Benn praised The Daily Telegraph for highlighting the loophole and called on the Government to stop the practice.
The paper disclosed today how councillors across England were offering themselves for hire to property developers who are hoping to take advantage of relaxed planning laws which come into effect within weeks.
Mr Benn said: “The Telegraph’s investigation has highlighted a loophole in the current system which seems to allow councillors to get paid to lobby for or advise on planning decisions in their own authorities.
“No-one is saying that councillors can’t work in lobbying at all, especially those who spend their lives advocating for worthy causes, but I will be writing to Eric Pickles to urge him to act immediately to ban any councillor from taking on paid consultancy for clients seeking to influence the local authority on which they serve.
“This is the rule that Parliament already works to, which bans lobbying for reward, and the same rule against paid advocacy should apply to all locally elected representatives.”
The Telegraph disclosed how local government politicians were trading on their inside knowledge of the planning system to receive fees of up to £20,000 for advice on how to get developments approved.
Despite apparently creating the potential for a conflict of interest, it is not illegal for councillors to work as paid consultants.
Councils are expected to face an increase in applications for building when new planning laws take effect at the end of this month. One lobbying company boasted to potential clients that it employs councillors who sit on local authority committees.
The investigation also found that councillors who have set up their own consultancy services are offering to help push through planning applications.
All the councillors named in the investigation said their activities had been appropriately declared.
Letter to Local Government secretary Eric Pickles from Shadow Local Government secretary Hilary Benn
Rt Hon Eric Pickles
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Eland House
Bressenden Place
LONDON SW1E 5DU
11 March 2013
Re: Councillors who are paid to lobby on planning matters
I am writing following the report in today's Daily Telegraph about councillors who run or are paid by consultancies to advise developers about planning applications.
I think this highlights a particular loophole in the current system which seems to allow councillors to get paid to lobby for or advise on planning decisions in their own authority. I am not saying that being a councillor should not in itself preclude you from working in lobbying at all, including advising on planning applications going to other authorities, provided their interest is publicly declared.
However, I hope you will agree with me that it is not right for a councillor to take on paid consultancy for clients seeking to influence the local authority on which they serve. It is a clear conflict of interest and the rules need to be tightened to stop it happening.
In doing so we should follow the example of Parliament where we already have a rule which bans lobbying for reward. I think the same rule against paid advocacy in their own authority should apply to all locally elected representatives, and I would therefore urge you to take action immediately to bring in a similar rule for local government.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... ckles.html'If I can’t get planning, nobody will' says Devon councillor and planning consultantEast Devon Conservative councillor Graham Brown told undercover Telegraph reporters how he could help overseas investors secure planning approval for large developments around the UK.
“If I can’t get planning, nobody will," Graham Brown told undercover reporters last month.
The East Devon Conservative councillor runs a planning consultancy and, although, he is not directly involved in planning decisions, he was clear about what benefits he could bring to a group of overseas investors trying to secure planning approval for large developments around the UK.
“I know, without trying to be clever, I know more than most of the councillors and I know more than most of the officers,” he said."I don't come cheap," the planning consultant added, stating that he was normally paid £80 an hour or between £1000 and £20,000 for a project.
His fees would vary “depending on the viability of the scheme, if we get it, like if I turned a greenfield into a housing estate and I’m earning a developer two or three million, then I ain’t doing it for peanuts… Especially if I’m the difference between winning it and losing it.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... ltant.htmlTDO reported this at the time;
Ex-councillor jailed over bribery A former Portsmouth city councillor has been jailed for a year after being found guilty of accepting a bribe.
Jeremy Baker, 47, from Cosham, was convicted of accepting £500 for making sure a planning decision for a property developer got through.
A secret film of the incident was shown to jurors at Winchester Crown Court during Baker's trial.
He was convicted of a corruption charge but cleared of another. They related to his time on the planning committee.
Estate agent David Maunder made the recording in an agreement with a property developer who felt he was poorly treated by planners, jurors were told.
The developer felt aggrieved about the planning committee's dealings over his three properties in London Road, St Helens Parade and Kingston Parade, the court heard.
On one occasion, Mr Maunder said to Baker, "right I've got a little something for you" before counting £500 out on the table, jurors were told.
Baker, who was cleared of taking a £250 bribe, was jailed for a year on Thursday.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hamp ... 275826.stm