Letter: I Am Pleased Party Is Investigating Sir Paul’s Beresford’s Claims

Published on: 19 Jan, 2019
Updated on: 19 Jan, 2019

Sir Paul Beresford MP and Cllr Paul Spooner

From Paul Spooner

leader of Guildford Borough Council

In response to Valerie Thompson [see comment on Letter: If There Is Any Evidence, Bring It On], the site allocation was not removed and placed back in the Local Plan. It remained in the Local Plan as an allocated site on the basis that Planning Policy [officers] believed, and still do believe, that the site is capable of sustainable development within the plan period, subject to overcoming the issues that GBC councillors including the leadership considered the applicant had failed to achieve in their most recent application.

It was refused and this was supported at appeal and by the Secretary of State.

I believe that John Ferns comment that Sir Paul’s comments were underhand is on the basis that he made them in public but under protection of Parliamentary privilege. I ask Sir Paul to repeat his comments in public outside of that protection. Is he brave enough to do so? A breach of Parliamentary privilege. I am pleased that the party is now investigating.