Lisa Wright

Council officers are not investigating rumours reported, at last week’s full council meeting, to be circulating, that a member of the Executive was seeking personal financial gain from a proposed housing development.

In a statement, issued to The Guildford Dragon NEWS, a Guildford Borough Council (GBC) spokesperson said: “The Monitoring Officer does not investigate ‘rumours’. Any formal complaints submitted are considered in accordance with the council’s adopted procedures for dealing with complaints against councillors. As it currently stands, there are no complaints related to Blackwell Farm.”

Lisa Wright a “Save Hogs Back” campaigner reported the rumours during her three-minute statement at the beginning of the Local Plan debate on Tuesday (November 21, 2017).

She said: “Rumours are circulating that at least one member of the Executive has sought personal financial gain on the back of the Blackwell Farm development. While it is easy to dismiss this as just rumours it would be reassuring for the public and for councillors voting tonight to have them quashed…”

Cllr Nigel manning

At this point, Cllr Nigel Manning, chairing the meeting, intervened to say: “Ms Wright you have made unsupported allegations.”

Lisa Wright responded: “It is not an allegation….”

Cllr Manning: “Yes it is.”

Lisa Wright: “…I was suggesting there was a rumour. Would you like to confer for a moment?”

Cllr Nigel Manning responded: “It is not a planning matter, please stick to the planning matter.”

The exchange and the full debate can be viewed here on the GBC webcast of the meeting.