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Letter to Hazel Blears, Secretary of Communities and Local Government

re. Barn Hall, Wickford, Essex

Thank you for Huw Irranca-Davies' response received on the 6th April 2009 to my letter to you dated 20th February 2009. As you know, because of a Freedom of Information request, you released to me a copy of the Contract of Sale for the land at Barn Hall.

Having reviewed the 40 plus pages, I note that the government is entitled to claim a kick-back from granting planning permission ‘equal to 85% of the amount by which the Net Value of the Qualifying Property with the benefit of the Qualifying Planning Permission exceeds the Base Value of the Qualifying Property (such Base Value calculated by reference to the ratio which the area in hectares of the Qualifying Property bears to the area in hectares of the Property)'

This to me smacks of a conflict of interest. In previous correspondence to you and to the Planning Inspectorate I have highlighted the need to respect local democracy. On this occasion local residents, local councillors and the local MP clearly expressed their will that no development should take place. This view was then supported in the Planning Inspectorate‘s report to yourself. Yet you and you alone granted permission. At no time during your deliberations was any mention made of the extent of this kick-back – something only discovered after our FOI request.

Any objective outsider will question whether this strong conflict of interest affected your decision to grant planning permission. The moral justification of such a decision is also brought into question in light of this kick-back. Therefore, given the above information, I urge you to reconsider your decision to grant planning permission otherwise I will ask the Council to reconsider the legal position.

I look forward to hearing from you,

John Baron MP