Planning objection withdrawn after promise of money from developer

[ronecc]

Our village has been fighting a development for many years. Recently three of the major objectors were ' bought off' by the developer. One of the objectors has been found to have been offered money, on an annual basis, to withdraw their objection. Could this be classed as Bribery of some other form of illegality?

[Amethyst]

Is the objector who withdrew their objection following payment actually in a position to make the decision or simply an individual who objected to the planning application? ie. If it's a planning official, yes, if not, no. des8 ?

[james_law]

Most likely not. They would say its compensation/settlement payment, assuming the objector is just a 'normal' objector.

[ronecc]

Thanks for your replies. The objector is a major land owner but not anybody on the planning commitee. I say major, as in owning the majority of land in the largest county in Britain. The objector would be in charge of planning had it been on their land, but the disputed area is just on their boundary.

[des8]

The objector would be in charge of planning had it been on their land, but the disputed area is just on their boundary.

Does this mean the objector is a council officer responsible for the land next to that for which PP has been applied?

Persuading a person to stop objecting does not contravene the Bribery Act 2010, but one must wonder about the propriety of a council officer accepting payments from a third party.
That almost certainly contravenes the council internal rules, and could be reported both to the council and the LGO

look at schedule of Local Authority’s (Model Code of Conduct) Order 2007.

[ronecc]

Thanks Des8. I am presuming the person objecting is the same person emails are addressed to. He is the Chief Exec' of a National Park, not a Council, so I presume the Law does not affect his decision making.

[des8]

The Local Authorities order applied to National Parks (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/1159/made)

Further investigation of this order revealed the Standards Board, which enforced the order, has been abolished, and the order replaced by the Localism Act which permits the authorities to draw up their own standards of conduct.
Apologies for not spotting that earlier.

This means you will have to search for the relevant code of conduct on the parks authority website.
If it appears to have been breached you need to complain to the Parks Authority (but how worth while that will be is unknown viewing his position!)

[ronecc]

Thanks again. I will look into it.