They have asked States chief executive Boley Smillie to set up an investigation into claims made by a member of the public that planning officials mishandled an application from vice-president Andrew Taylor to develop a residential property he owns in the Forest.
The other four members of the authority previously raised their concerns with director of planning Jim Rowles. He told them that internal inquiries had found that the application was dealt with appropriately, but they were dissatisfied with how he handled the matter.
Deputy Taylor said he believed the claims made by a member of the public had been known to other members for more than a year, and he questioned the timing of their request to the chief executive for an inquiry, just weeks ahead of the general election.
The authority’s president, Victoria Oliver, emailed Deputy Taylor two weeks ago to tell him that she and other members were pressing for an inquiry.
‘In the interests of openness and transparency, I wanted to give you an early heads-up that the committee has unanimously agreed to request an independent assessment regarding the application and development at your property in the Forest,’ said Deputy Oliver in the email.
‘This decision follows concerns raised by a member of the public, along with recent photographs shared with the committee. Given the nature of these concerns, particularly as they relate to the integrity of the planning service and the involvement of a political member, we felt that an independent review would be the most appropriate way to ensure fairness, impartiality and confidence in the process.
‘Given the semi-judicial responsibilities held by political members of the authority, which is unique in the States, we believe that taking this step is important to maintain trust and transparency in how the service operates.’
The claims against Deputy Taylor concern the use of land surrounding his house which planning policies protect from development.
It is understood that an internal review of the case included taking advice from the Law Officers before it concluded that normal procedures had been followed. But the majority of the authority’s members believed they had been denied adequate information to demonstrate that the planning service handled Deputy Taylor’s application and development appropriately.
A source close to the authority told the Guernsey Press that its members had received indications from Mr Smillie that he was in the process of drawing up terms of reference for an inquiry and considering who should carry it out.
‘That my political colleagues would sooner consider the director of planning and the entire planning service to be corrupt, than accept I have acted lawfully, is disappointing, but sadly typifies the attitudes within the political body,’ said Deputy Taylor.
‘I don’t know enough about their requests to fully form my own views. However, to learn that the email sent privately from the DPA members to me has already been shared with local media outlets does not instil much confidence of fairness or impartiality in the process.’
Deputy Taylor has frequently been a minority voice on the authority on both policy issues and how it conducts its business. Two years ago he tendered his resignation but soon withdrew it and later survived as vice-president only because his critics used the wrong procedures when trying to replace him.
There have also been other instances of tension between some members of the authority and their officials, including Deputy Oliver saying last year that a compliance notice they issued to her brother’s company lacked common sense.
The States did not respond in time for publication to a request for comment from Mr Smillie.
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