News story

7th November 2005

MP to Speak Out Over "Gagged" Councillor

Northavon MP Steve Webb will tomorrow (Tuesday 8th) challenge ministers at Westminster over rules which have prevented a South Gloucestershire councillor from speaking out for local people. The MP will lead a 30 minute debate at Westminster (at 1.30pm) on the role of councillors in determining planning applications and will highlight the case of Westerleigh councillor Alan Bracey who has been told that he cannot speak at or attend a council planning meeting to discuss a planning application in his ward.

The application relates to Network Rail's plans to fell large numbers of trees in the Westerleigh and Coalpit Heath area in connection with track safety work. Over the past year, Cllr Bracey has publicly stated his opposition to the way in which Network Rail has acted and, having taken sides on the issue, agreed to forego his right to vote on planning applications relating to this case. However, he has now been told that because he lives near the affected railway track, he has a "personal and prejudicial" interest in the case and therefore may not speak at or even attend the relevant planning meeting.

Alan Bracey's case has now been taken up by Steve Webb MP who will argue that the rules on the role of councillors have gone too far and are preventing councillors from doing the job of representing their own community. He will compare the position of councillors with that of MPs who, once they have declared an interest, are generally free both to speak and vote on issues in which they have an interest.

Steve Webb said:

"The key role of a local councillor is to represent their local community. In most cases, councillors live in that community and are therefore affected by any major planning applications relating to their area. But it would be a nonsense if they were therefore gagged and prevented from speaking out for local people. It is common sense that provided people are honest and open about the effect an application will have on them, they should be allowed to speak. I will be urging the Government to think again about the present rules".


Note to editors:

The Committee on Standards in Public Life, in a report earlier this year, recommended:

"R28. In planning decisions the ability of elected members to represent constituents' interests where they have personal and prejudicial interests has been unnecessarily diminished. This should be changed to give any elected member the right to speak (but not vote) for their constituents at a planning committee meeting or at any other quasi- regulatory meeting..."

Steve Webb will be endorsing this position.