I have by and large tried to provide factual information on this blog and expressed third party opinions. Having this morning given evidence to the Inspector about the false letters of support for the planning applications filed on the Council Planning Portal by the developers’ agents, I feel I should briefly turn to the first person.
I am assured that my full speaking brief and its exhibits will be uploaded to the Inquiry website. You can also see my evidence on the livestream – and significantly the responses of Counsel for the local authority.
Counsel for Richmond merely said that they had reported the matter to the Inspectorate and the letters would form no part of their case. He ignored any question of whether they should have further investigated how the false letters came to be on a Council website.
Counsel for the developers basically said these allegations should be ignored for the purposes of the Inquiry, and in the same breath as making comments about costs, referred to Professional Codes of Conduct stating that unproven allegations should not be put before the Inquiry. He misquoted me in relation to ‘malfeasance’ where what I said, and have always said, was that the false letters raised questions about malfeasance which should be investigated. They never have been and I fear we have to assume they will not be. I took his comments as veiled threats.
So just what is the truth about thse letters? We may never know. The outcome is that both the Council and the developers have simply brushed this under the table.
And while I am writing I note that there has been no-one present from the local press. So your only source of news is on this blog!
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Maybe circulate this to the local press?
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Yes but I think it needs more than just a Mystery Blogger!
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After you presented details of names and dates, Richard, and were even accompanied by one of those whose name was falsely used, it was extraordinary to hear the counsel for the developers saying with a straight face that it was “a shame that these proceedings have been sullied by such allegations”.
Allegations about made-up emails designed to create a false impression of local support for the development are a serious matter, but the developers offered no word of explanation, apology or denial – and to be fair to them, and to you, whatever the implications of your evidence, you did not link the developers directly to the emails.
As for Richmond Council, although their spokesperson said it had acknowledged that “letters of support were not genuine”, you also reported that “no further steps had been taken” by the Council to investigate who was responsible.
Your evidence from named individuals that their supposed words did not come from them deserves to be followed up. But as you told the enquiry, it is not clear to whom these allegations should be put if the Council is apparently so uninterested.
It is good that your work is now on the record and if, as was suggested, such tactics are often ‘par for the course’ in development processes, perhaps word will get round that they can also be exposed, to the potential humiliation of their perpetrators.
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Please keep up your excellent work and reporting
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Thanks for being our ears and eyes, and keep up the good work
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