NEW MAYOR IN TROUBLE

5.27.22pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 13th May 2003

New Mayor, Nicki Urquhart, has been reported to the Council's Monitoring Officer, Richard Mellor, by Cllr Serge Lourie, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Opposition. This could lead to a reference to the Standards Committee.

Cllr Urquhart wrote to all members of the Planning Committee, including Cllr Lourie urging that a planning application by one of her neighbours be rejected in contravention of the Protocol for Planning and Development Control that deals with applications by others affecting a councillor's property.

At the meeting of the Planning Committee on 8 May, Cllr Hollis, who was chairing the meeting, instructed members to ignore Cllr Urquhart's letter. Planning Consent (03/0471/HOT 2 Gerard Road, Barnes) was granted to allow a converted detached garage to be individually let.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Lourie, who was not serving on the Planning Committee when the item was considered, said:

"I fear this is another example of the naïveté of members of the new administration. Councillors are expected to abide by the Code of Conduct and associated protocols and not make representations to Council Committees on their own behalf where their own property is involved."

Note for editors

Cllr Simon Lamb, Chair of the Planning Committee had to resign after he admitted that he had not read the key Council planning document, the Unitary Development Plan.

For further information, contact Cllr Serge Lourie on Home 020 8876 7368; mobile 07958 589589; office 020 7828 6288