Milford Mercury | Local News, Sport & Entertainment

Leader's mansion: no judicial review

From the archive, first published Thursday 2nd Feb 2006.

A HIGH Court judge has refused permission for a judicial review into the decision to allow council leader John Davies to build a huge `herdsman's cottage' on his farm.

Hakin councillor Mike Stoddart had applied for judicial review on the grounds that when the planning committee controversially granted go-ahead for the 2,800sq ft property last year, they did so on the basis of a "factually inaccurate report."

The report stated that Cwmbetws Ltd - a company of which Cllr Davies is director - had 165 dairy cows and heifers on its farm in Eglwyswrw.

But, by the time the committee sat in May, the company had already sold off most of the dairy herd.

That, argued Cllr Stoddart, reduced the farm's labour requirement and therefore any justification for a new property.

But last week Mr Justice Collins turned down the application for judicial review. The Judge said there had been "no error of law which could even arguably lead to the decision being quashed."

Cllr Stoddart is now taking legal advice before deciding his next step. He told the Mercury: "It is not easy to see by what process of logic a reduction in manpower requirements translates into the need for extra workers' accommodation.

"However, whatever the legal niceties, the fact remains that when the planning committee sat down to determine this application, it had before it a report which was factually inaccurate.

"And, of course, the one person who knew that the report was factually inaccurate was the leader of the council, who, in common with all members, would have received a copy of the agenda three clear days before the meeting.

"Putting aside what the lawyers think about it, what proportion of the Pembrokeshire electorate believe that, of all people, the leader of the council had a duty to inform his fellow members that the report in front of them contained manifest falsehoods? I would put the figure at well north of 90%"

Planning chairman goes on the attack

PLANNING committee chairman Bill Hitchings has launched a stinging attack on Mike Stoddart following the Judge's decision.

He said the decision to refuse a judicial review "was a crushing one against Cllr Stoddart" and called his application "inappropriate and wasteful."

Cllr Hitchings told the Mercury: "There was never any merit whatsoever in Cllr Stoddart's position and this is made clear in the Judge's observations.

"The planning application was dealt with by the members and officers of this council in an exemplary fashion. It is clear from the judge's finding that Cllr Davies also behaved completely properly throughout.

"It is extremely unfortunate that yet again, Cllr Stoddart has misused the processes which the law provides.

"He complained to the Ombudsman and when that complaint was rejected, he made this wholly inappropriate and wasteful application for a Judicial Review.

"It does Cllr Stoddart no credit that he used a legitimate planning application to try to discredit Cllr Davies.

"How much longer are the people of Pembrokeshire going to have to put up with his behaviour?"

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