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| Glowingly supportive - but the letter fails to state that Cllr Shepherd is on Foresight's board of trustees |
A FRONTLINE NELC cabinet member hopes letters from two charities with which he has close links might help him to secure consent for a controversial planning application.
Cllr Ron Shepherd has done work - apparently much-appreciated - for Learning4Life-Gy and he is a trustee of Foresight.
The two charities hope councillors can be persuaded to back Cllr Shepherd's proposal to retain a static caravan at his paddock smallholding off Bradley Road in Bradley.
Only Learning4Life-Gy has acknowledged that it has a connection with the councillor.
However, the points made in both letters are of doubtful relevance in planning terms and thus unlikely to carry much weight in the committee's deliberations at a planning committee meeting this week (July 10) in Grimsby Town Hall.
It is against NELC's planning policy to allow residential caravans to spring up in paddocks unless there are exceptional circumstances.
But Cllr Shepherd's argument is that an on-site presence is essential for to safeguard his smallholding - which accommodates poultry, sheep and pigs.
He fears that, should he be refused consent for the caravan, the future of the business which he and wife Gillian have built up since 2008 will be jeopardised.
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| The letter from Learning4Life-Gy |
The Grimsby News says: There is nothing to restrict charities from expressing comments on planning matters, but the letter submitted Foresight is regrettable for the simple reason that its chairman and chief officer has withheld a crucial piece of information - namely that the applicant, Cllr Shepherd, is on its board of trustees. This should have been declared. For the sake of the integrity of the planning system, either the council's legal officer or the committee's chairman needs to clarify this at the outset of Wednesday's discussions.
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