Inquiry over Meadows campaign

February 04, 2010

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PLANNING chiefs are facing an investigation amid claims of misconduct over the Chorlton Meadows campaign.

The city’s ruling Labour party has been accused by the Liberal Democrats of having ‘whips’ on the town hall planning committee.

The Lib Dems have referred their concerns to the city solicitor who is obliged to investigate such claims. If proved true, they would amount to a breach of the town hall code of conduct. The allegations come on the back of plans to build football pitches on Chorlton Meadows by West Didsbury and Chorlton AFC.

The plans, which were fiercely opposed by residents who created the Save Chorlton Meadows group, were withdrawn by developers at the eleventh hour when they went before a planning committee meeting last month. Despite this, Labour sent a letter to residents after the meeting advising them that the scheme had been rejected by the committee.

The Lib Dems claim this is evidence that Labour had already drawn up the letter and therefore agreed in advance which way its members would vote.

Labour’s chair of the planning committee Coun Tony Burns said: "It is and always has been against the rules of Labour members to whip a committee

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Joe Bloggs, Chorlton (04/02/2010 at 14:40)

I can't believe what the Lib Dems are up to now! Something that was seen as a sweet success for the community has now been soured by the Lib Dems pathetic attempts to discredit a mostly Labour planning committee. The planning committee were obviously going to reject the proposal, that's why it was withdrawn, everyone that i've spoken to who had anything to do with the campaign said the same thing. It seems to me that what the Lib Dems REALLY wanted was for the Labour planning committee to accept the proposal, just so they would look bad in the eyes of the Chorlton voters. They are now out to try and discredit Labour Councillors because it didn't all go to plan, it's a total disgrace. When the investigations find the planning committee innocent, the Lib Dems should write a full apology to be printed in both the SMR and MEN. I really hope the Save Chorlton Meadows campaigners see through the Lib Dems and have nothing more to do with them and their petty attempts at political point scoring.

GaelGivet, Didsbury (04/02/2010 at 20:32)

The members of the Labour party are clearly either grossly incompetent, deceitful or both. As I posted on the MEN's board, the Lib Dems are quite right to challenge this. it's a complete undermining of local democracy and the planning system for the Labour members to go into a meeting ALREADY having colluded and decided how they were going to vote. How is that democratic? The developers went into that meeting expecting at least a fair hearing and an honest debate about their plans. Instead the outcome was a fait accompli because the Labour majority had decided in advance how they were going to vote to be able to make some cheap political gains. If I were the developers I'd be seriously annoyed. It's an absolute disgrace actually and the Labour party needs stringing up for it.

PuppyLove, Manchester (04/02/2010 at 22:20)

No, another Lib Dem smear like Christie Hospital "being closed". Sack the lot of them.

GaelGivet, Didsbury (06/02/2010 at 21:51)

Well put it this way, if the Labour party hadn't planned all this in advance, they are totally incompetent. Only a mug would vote for them round here.

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