Westminster Council Planning Procedures

EDM number 875 in 1994-95, proposed by Clare Short on 22/03/1995.

That this House congratulates Peter Bradley deputy leader of the Labour group on Westminster City Council on his referral to the Director of Public Prosecutions of papers, showing a clearly improper relationship between Richard Loftus and Westminster Conservative councillors; notes, with grave concern, the mass of inconsistencies and irregularities surrounding the granting of planning permission for properties proposed for redevelopment by Mr Loftus at Baker Street particularly the overruling of a 1981 decision by the then Environment Secretary the Right honourable Member for Henley to block the redevelopment and save one of the best preserved Georgian blocks in London; notes also that despite declaring an interest the sub-committee Chairman Andrew Greystoke took active part in a meeting on the planning consents and offered assistance to Mr Loftus with any appeals; and notes that Mr Loftus has been implicated as a leading figure in Westminster's gerrymandering policies and that his property increased in value, by ú100 million because of the proposed redevelopment; and believes the emergence of another Westminster scandal is further justification for an immediate extraordinary audit.

This motion has been signed by a total of 59 MPs.