Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MLA planning probe dropped after council chief intervened
Land usage query into car firm
A PLANNING enforcement probe against a DUP MLA’S car sales business was dropped after a council chief executive intervened.
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council shut its inquiry into Trevor Clarke’s firm after receiving information from Anne Donaghy and a DUP councillor.
Their names were redacted from documents released two years ago which have been destroyed.
The council, which has been rocked by controversy, said the physical enforcement files were destroyed in line with its data protection.
It rejected suggestions it should refer itself to the public transparency watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Mr Clarke, an MLA for
South Antrim, runs a car sales business from his home outside Randalstown.
A probe was launched in 2015 following a complaint it did not have planning permission.
Officials carried out a visit and said “there appears to be a breach of planning control”, enforcement reports said.
A letter was sent seeking details to show the land usage was immune, but the council received no response.
A “warning letter seeking unauthorised use to cease” was issued and again there was “no response”.
But the following month the enforcement case was closed. A “further assessment report” said information had been received to confirm the sale of cars
was immune from action “as it has taken place for more than five years”.
The names of those who supplied details were redacted when the papers were disclosed in November 2019 after a Freedom of Information request.
However, it has emerged the names were Ms Donaghy and DUP councillor John Carson. In a further FOI response, the council was able to disclose limited information held electronically about the case.
A spokeswoman said the council believes releasing the names at the time would have had the “potential to prejudice” a continuing enforcement probe “and as such were redacted”.
Meanwhile, DUP MPS Ian Paisley and Sammy Wilson said they would ask the party’s Policing Board members, including Mr Clarke, to raise their concerns about a PSNI probe into misconduct allegations at the council.
The PSNI declined to say whether the DUP has yet made any representations.
A Policing Board spokeswoman said “this matter has not been raised at the board”. The DUP did not respond to requests for comment on the MPS’ complaints.
[Releasing names had] potential to prejudice a probe MID AND EAST ANTRIM BOROUGH COUNCIL