AN INVERCLYDE councillor has been suspended after he failed to declare an interest before voting on a planning application for the major redevelopment of the former IBM site at Spango Valley.
Councillor Innes Nelson was found to have breached the Councillors’ Code of Conduct following a Standards Commission hearing at the Municipal Buildings today.
Councillors had been considering in 2022 an application for the development of 450 houses made by billionaire businessmen Sandy and James Easdale - who are now calling on Nelson to resign.
The SNP man – who’s resides at the nearby Chrisswell Farm - backed a recommendation to impose a 270-home cap on the number of properties which could be built on the site.
The Standards Commission panel heard that he had previously provided feedback on proposals for mixed-use development at the site, noting concerns regarding traffic on the A78 and this risk of farms falling victim to vandalism.
Cllr Nelson told the panel that he was also concerned about the ‘loss of industrial use of the site’ and ‘the jobs that come from that’.
Solicitor Malcolm Cameron said that his client had a ‘change of heart’ regarding the plans after the formulation of Inverclyde Council’s local development plan in 2018 – and that he was a member of the environment and regeneration committee which unanimously approved the plan.
A planning application for the site was later submitted, with Cllr Nelson moving for a site visit at a meeting in January 2022.
Permission was later granted for the development in March 2022, subject to conditions which limited the number of houses to be built.
During this process, Cllr Nelson made no declaration of interest regarding his property adjacent to the former IBM site.
The councillor insisted: “I was acting in good faith as a member of the planning committee.
“I had no personal interest.”
Noting that Cllr Nelson previously had an ‘unblemished record’, the panel suspended him for a period of one month.
Panel chair Ashleigh Dunn said: “The panel emphasised that the requirement for councillors to declare interests is a fundamental requirement of the code as it gives the public confidence that decisions are being made in the public interest, and not the personal interest of any councillor or their friends or family.
“A failure to comply with the code’s requirements in this regard can erode confidence in the Council and leave its decisions open to legal challenge.”
The Easdale brothers were eventually granted permission for 450 homes following a subsequent application in September 2022.
Following the decision, Sandy Easdale said: “Cllr Nelson has been found guilty of breaching the code of conduct and must now resign as a councillor.
“It is beyond contempt that he put his own interests above those of his constituents regarding a planning application that sought to regenerate a landmark site in Inverclyde.
“He should have stepped back from the decision-making process but instead voted against the original planning proposal."
James Easdale added: “The delay that Cllr Nelson created caused untold damage to the project.
"Not only have we personally encountered huge fees to appeal the original decision, the delay also coincided with a period where building costs and interest rates went through the roof.
“He had no thought for the families who might make the development their home or for those who would be employed during the build phase, including new apprentices.
“We are considering our options on whether to pursue Cllr Nelson on a personal basis for the costs incurred by his dreadful actions.”
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