Congleton councillor abstains from controversial planning application amid confusion
A Congleton Cheshire East councillor didn't vote on a controversial planning application, saying she felt compromised by comments she overheard before the meeting started.
Cllr Sally Holland (Congleton West, Con) abstained from voting on an application for six houses in Alderley Edge at Wednesday's northern planning committee meeting.
The application, which received more than 110 objections, was approved.
But before the vote, Cllr Holland told the public meeting at Macclesfield Town Hall: "I'm really uncomfortable with voting today because, when I came into this meeting, I overheard the previous chair of this meeting [Cllr Craig Browne] say that 'she will vote that way'.
"There was only myself and [Cllr] Julie Smith in the room at the time, so I'm really concerned about how I'm going to vote today because I don't think that's correct."
Cllr Browne told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) after the meeting he had definitely not made any remarks speculating about how individuals would vote.
During the meeting committee chair James Nicholas asked Cllr Holland for further clarification.
Cllr Holland said: "When I arrived here I overheard the previous chair saying 'she will vote that way, she will vote for it', but I'm not quite certain who the person was referring to."
The legal officer told Cllr Holland to disregard anything she thought she may have heard.
"You need to take into account the information that you've got in front of you, the information that you've heard today and you need to make a decision based on that information," said the legal officer.
Cllr Kate Parkinson (Con) said she wanted to follow up on what Cllr Holland had said.
"We have been interrupted once already by a member of the public in these meetings and there have been mutterings occurring which is very distracting and can be intimidating," said the High Legh councillor.
"So I'm just wondering if, perhaps, we can keep a tight rein on that, because it could sway opinion."
Speaking after the meeting Cllr Holland told the LDRS: "I abstained from that [vote] because I wasn't sure if he was suggesting that it was myself or somebody else, but even so I felt I'd been compromised in how I could vote. I think I was definitely compromised."
She added: "If I've misunderstood – but I wouldn't have said it in the meeting had I not thought I'd heard something."
The Congleton councillor said she hadn't discussed the matter with Cllr Browne before the meeting for clarification because, under the council's rules, planning committee members are not permitted to approach anybody.
Cllr Browne believed he had definitely not made remarks speculating about individual voting and was 'baffled' by Cllr Holland's comments at the meeting.
"I have spoken with the other parish councillors, with whom I was in the public gallery, they are as baffled as I am by Cllr Holland's comments," said Cllr Browne.
"There were several other male members of the public sat in the public gallery and it is possible that one of them has either been overheard or misheard.
"I can categorically state that I have made no speculative remarks on the voting intentions of other members."
There is no indication that that Cllr Holland will abstain from any future Congleton-based housing decisions.
Cllr Sally Holland works as part of a team of three councillors representing Congleton West Ward for Cheshire East Council, alongside Cllr George Hayes (Con) (and Cllr Susie Akers-Smith (Ind).
Cllr Holland is also a Cheshire East Councillor, and was also Mayor of Congleton for 2019-20.
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