The BBC Radio 4 'You and Yours' programme on Friday led with the concerns of Stroud District Green party councillors over a potential conflict of interest regarding the previous proposals for a Tesco in Dursley......Photo: View across to near the Beacon, Haresfield
....basically Stroud District Council paid GVA Grimley to market the Dursley site for a supermarket and negotiate with Tesco over that site, yet Tesco is also one of GVA Grimley's clients. No one is saying anything illegal has happened, but it is surely poor practice that property agencies have commercial relationships with both sides when there is a planning application?
Over the weekend and most of this morning I've had a fair few conversations with campaigners and emailed various folk over this issue - plus put a news release together. Read the story here and see why we need more transparency on this issue.
2 comments:
You might be interested that Greens in Dumfries and Galloway, south of Scotland, also had a run in with Tesco/Grimleys.
The local council commissioned Grimley's to research the effect of a new TEsco on local shops.
When at the planning decision-time meeting a local objector pointed out that Grimley's list Tesco as a client, the Planning Officer went out of the room to phone Grimleys, and then came back in to report that Grimleys said there was no conflict of interest, so it was ok to proceed!!
The Planning department eventually allowed the store, but refused a Tesco petrol station, on the grounds that local garages needed the petrol sales to keep their mechanical workshops afloat.
Now, of course, a year on from the store opening, Tesco has come back again to ask for the petrol station.
Just got this:
Dear Philip Booth,
Thanks a lot for your email.
I see this as a clear conflict of interest situation and I will continue to pursue it. I don’t think that the Royal Institute of Planners – or whatever they are called – really understand what conflict of interest means!!
Bets wishes,
Norman Lamb
Lib Dem MP, North Norfolk
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