MPs for Milton Keynes request 'urgent' investigation into council's planning department following criminal complaint

MK’s MPs Iain Stewart and Ben Everitt and the leader of the Conservative council group, Cllr Alex Walker, have penned the letter to Robert Jenrick, to request an independent inspection into Milton Keynes Council’s planning department.

The letter seeks the Secretary’s intervention based on the council’s ability to deliver its ‘best value’ duty; the legal requirement to maintain good governance and effective management of resources.

Last week, local Conservative politicians and the Blakelands Residents Association called on Robert Jenrick to authorise an independent investigation into MKC’s planning department in light of the news that a criminal complaint had been made against its planning department over alleged “misconduct in the public office”.

The Conservative MPs and Cllr Alex Walker have now sent the letter to the Minister aimed at convincing him to authorise the independent inspection urgently.

The letter highlights doubts over whether there is any trust in MK’s planning service to deliver future growth progress in one of the UK’s fastest growing cities.

The letter, which addresses the Secretary of State by his first name and is signed off with 'Yours ever', reads:

Dear Robert,

We are writing as the Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes North, Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes South and the Leader of the Milton Keynes Conservative Group, to request an independent inspection into Milton Keynes Council’s (MKC) Planning Department under the Local Government Act 1999.

The MKC Planning Department has, for some time, faced serious questions locally over its ability and performance in all four aspects of the service; plan-writing, development control, enforcement and appeals.

Consequently, there are strong concerns in the Council’s ability to deliver its ‘best value’ duty; the legal requirement to maintain good governance and effective management of resources. This matter needs urgently looking into to ensure that general performance issues are properly addressed, and the Milton Keynes Planning Department can run both effectively and efficiently.

As one of the fastest growing places in the country, trust in our local planning authority is imperative in order to have local support as plans for future growth progress.

Collectively, we are worried the implications the ongoing failings has had on parish councils and the residents of Milton Keynes, after a series of major wrongdoings and allegations. The most notable example being the Blakelands warehouse, which has seen a large amount of casework directed to Councillors and Members of Parliament alike.

Our hope is to get to the bottom of this matter swiftly so that the residents of Milton Keynes can know the truth behind any failures of the Milton Keynes Planning Department and can have confidence in it.

Therefore, the only way we believe this can be achieved is through an independent inspection into Milton Keynes Council’s (MKC) Planning Department under the Local Government Act 1999.

We look forward to your response on this urgent matter.

Yours ever

Iain Stewart MP

Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes South

Ben Everitt MP

Member of Parliament for Milton Keynes North

Alex Walker

Leader of Milton Keynes Conservative Group