A planning application by newly elected Shalfleet Parish councillor, Pam Myles, has attracted controversy with accusations of ‘bribery’ from at least one of her fellow councillors.
The day following the recent Shalfleet Parish council elections, when Mrs Myles was elected with 138 votes, a planning application in her and her husband’s names was opened to public comment on the council’s website.
Offer of £10,000 for local school
This is the third attempt to seek planning approval for a residential dwelling on land adjacent to Warlands Farm in Shalfleet.
Within the Planning Statement, the couple offer £10,000 to the Parish for the benefit of the local school as part of a Section 106 agreement.
The chairman of another local planning committee confirmed to OnTheWight that Section 106 agreements are standard practice when an application is made for something slightly out of the norm. He also confirmed that £10,000 is the going rate per dwelling.
The Section 106 agreement
Prior to the consideration of Mr and Mrs Myles’ planning application at the 22nd October Shalfleet Parish Council meeting, clerk Sally Woods, explained she’d sought advice from the Clerks’ Society on Section 106 (S106) agreements.
She told the councillors,
“S106 payment has nothing to do with the planning authority’s decision on a planning application and is something completely separate.
“The fact a S106 agreement has been offered should have no bearing on the decision of the planning application. That should be looked upon on its merits of what’s on the paper.”
Accusations made at Parish meeting
However, during the consideration of the application, Cllr Brenda Baxandall stated,
“I do think that the £10,000 is a bribe for us to look favourably on it [the application], so I’m afraid I’m not happy with it at all and I would turn it down.”
Cllr Steve French added,
“Even if it’s perfectly correct, I’m sure members of the public will find it very difficult to swallow. It puts pressure on the parish council.”
He went on to say,
“You’d have to convince people that you’re not being induced in anyway by such an offer.
“I come as a member of the public, it feels like ‘Gosh, this seems like a financial inducement to get people to help it’, that’s how it feels.”
No reaction to allegations
OnTheWight spoke with Mrs Myles this morning. In response to the allegations of bribery she replied,
“I have no reaction, they are perfectly entitled to their opinions.”
She confirmed she’d been advised to include the Section 106 offer in the application and that the money would only be given to the parish should the application go ahead.
Complaint to planning officer
In a letter to the planning office (copied to OnTheWight), Shalfleet resident, David Walter says the Section 106 agreement offer seemed designed to influence the planning consideration and should therefore be rejected.
He quotes the comments made by the parish councillors and refers the officers to the audio recording of the meeting on his Shalfleet blog.
At time of publishing the only other objection on the council’s website was that of the Parish council.
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