Police probe over Staffordshire council planning chairman’s comments

Police are investigating allegations that the chairman of a Staffordshire council’s planning committee abused his position.

Michael Worthington, chairman of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council’s planning committee, was caught on camera saying he was “under instructions” to vote a certain way. He denies being influenced to approve a planning application.

His comments were made after the planning committee he chaired voted in favour of a planning application for up to 10 new homes on the site of Endon Riding School near the village of Endon which is six miles north-east of Stoke-on-Trent. Officers had recommended the scheme should be rejected.

Campaign group the Whiston Action Group passed their allegations to police and wrote to the Prime Minister calling for a public inquiry.

Staffordshire Police confirmed it had received “an allegation of ‘misfeasance in public office’ and the matter has been passed to our investigative services for them to review.”

Mark Trillo, executive director and monitoring officer at the local authority, said: “The council has received complaints in relation to this planning application and these complaints are now being considered in accordance with the council’s procedures.

“In the meantime, given the issues that have been raised, the application was reconsidered at the planning applications committee last Thursday”. It was refused.

View the story on the BBC news website

Roger Milne