Resident hits out over conduct in planning row

A ROW has broken out about the conduct of members of Saddleworth Parish Council.

Resident Trevor Huston, of Wellmeadow Lane, Uppermill, has lodged a letter of complaint about clerk Tony Marlor and Parish Councillor Alma McInnes with the chief executive of Oldham Council, Charlie Parker.

He claims he has been ignored, given false information and threatened over a planning application he objected to.

Mr Huston said Councillor McInnes was unaware of the planning application and invited him to raise concerns at the next planning meeting, despite parish councillors having recommended the application the week before.

He said the council submitted their recommendation 18 days before the consultation ended. And at last Monday’s planning meeting,along with three associates, he claims he was silenced and threatened with police.

He said: “The clerk said, ‘If you don’t leave the premises, I will ring the police and have you forcibly removed.’

“We were extremely upset, and very angry. We have written a formal complaint to Mr Parker against the clerk of the council for his unprofessional behaviour and Councillor McInnes for providing false or misleading information.”

Councillor McInnes admitted she had made a mistake but said the situation had been explained prior to Monday.

She said: “I originally phoned Mr Huston to invite him to the meeting not knowing the matter had been passed.

“When I found out I’d made a mistake, I apologised and Mr Huston was told on Friday (July 31) there was no point coming to Monday’s meeting. It was Mr Huston who mentioned police at the meeting.”

Mr Marlor said Saddleworth Parish Council had been acting as a consultee to the original application, so there was no requirement to consult with the public.

He also said the matter had been explained three times before Monday.

He said: “Mr Huston was complaining that we shouldn’t have our meeting until the consultation period was over but we were just making our views known. I did ask him to leave Monday’s meeting but I did not mention anything about the police.”