'Planning permission can't be bought': Wayne Fitzgerald defends Peterborough City Council’s record on planning

Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald (Conservatives, West) has defended the council’s record on planning, which emerged as a key issue among the members of his group who resigned from his party in recent days.

Three of the four who resigned, Cllrs Brian Rush (Stanground South), Ray Bisby (Stanground South) and Gavin Elsey (Wittering) mentioned the Horsey Bridge development among their reasons for leaving. Cllr Peter Hiller (Glinton and Castor) has also resigned.

Horsey Bridge, a potential 20-building development in Stanground, was rejected by PCC’s planning committee in May, but three councillors – all Conservatives – called in the decision, meaning it would be looked at again.

But Cllr Fitzgerald revealed that these call–ins have now been withdrawn to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“The applicant will no doubt now go to the planning inspectorate to determine that application,” he said.

“He’s made it clear that he doesn’t want to cause embarrassment to the Conservative group or the administration or the council.

“There are suggestions of bribery and all sorts of things which are completely ridiculous and quite frankly hurtful to those members involved. It is a terrible thing to say.”

Cllr Fitzgerald added that “planning is impartial” but that there’s “nothing wrong” with him seeing through the policy of the Conservative group.

“When people vote for Conservatives, they're voting for like-minded people,” he added.

Asked whether the Conservatives, as a group, support the Horsey Bridge development, he said that “I and the council are pro-growth, pro-job creation and pro-housing” but that the application was called in because the three councillors that did so “didn’t feel the applicant got a fair hearing”.

“What I will tell you is that the lead planning officer for the council has reviewed the case and watched the meeting and considers that the reasons for refusal are weak and probably not defendable,” Cllr Fitzgerald said.

The monitoring officer, meanwhile, is “perfectly happy” with who did and didn’t declare an interest at the Horsey Bridge planning meeting after suggestions Conservatives – including those who called it in – should have done so.

“The applicant is a member of the Conservative Party,” he said. “He also has an honorary position as president; no formal role. He's equally a member of North West Cambridgeshire Conservatives and a donor to the Conservative Party in both associations.”

The Horsey Bridge development was submitted by Barnack Estates whose founder, Rob Facer, is chair of the Peterborough Conservative Association.