MP faces scrutiny over hotel development
The parliamentary watchdog has launched an investigation into a Tory former planning minister for failing to declare his links to companies behind a hotel development in his Kent constituency. Sir Bob Neill did not disclose he was a paid consultant for a company involved in the planning application in a letter urging the council to approve it. He also lobbied for another planning application, again without declaring his paid role, in a letter to the London Mayor.
A FORMER Conservative planning minister is under investigation by the parliamentary watchdog for failing to declare his links to companies behind a hotel development in his Kent constituency, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.
Sir Bob Neill did not disclose he was a paid consultant for a company involved in the planning application in a letter urging the council to approve it.
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards launched the investigation last month after receiving a complaint about Sir Bob’s role in securing permission for the Royal Bell hotel redevelopment in Bromley.
The MP for Bromley and Chislehurst is a consultant to the Substantia Group, which handled the hotel planning application for a developer client and has paid Sir Bob more than £50,000 for “strategic consultancy advice” since 2016.
An investigation by The Telegraph can further reveal that Sir Bob successfully lobbied for another planning application in his constituency, also submitted by a client of Substantia, again without declaring his paid role in a letter to the Mayor of London.
The MP lobbied Sadiq Khan to approve a stadium for Cray Wanderers FC with a residential housing complex.
Mike Amesbury, the shadow minister for housing and planning, last night called for the Standards Commissioner to “urgently” investigate the football stadium development. He said: “It beggars belief that a former planning minister would not be aware of the obvious conflict of interest in this case.”
He added: “These extraordinary new revelations come as Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick is embroiled in a cash-for-favours scandal.”
In 2016, Sir Bob supported the bid by Substantia’s client, Cray Wanderers FC, to build a stadium at Flamingo Park in Bromley. Mr Khan rejected the plan because it was on green belt land.
Six months later, in Dec 2016, Substantia began paying him £1,000 for six hours of “strategic consultancy advice” every month, which was declared in the MP’S register of interests.
In 2017, Cray Wanderers submitted a new planning application. On April 10 2018, Sir Bob wrote to Mr Khan on House of Commons notepaper saying it was “in full accordance” with the National Planning Policy Framework, which the MP introduced as planning minister during the coalition.
Sir Bob did not disclose his paid role as non-executive chairman of Substantia and its links to Cray Wanderers FC. The code of conduct says MPS must be “open and frank in drawing attention to any relevant interest” in all communications with public officials.
In Nov 2018, the mayor dropped his opposition to the development. Michael Paye, head of Paye Homes, another Substantia client, and Gary Hillman are co-directors of the company that bought the grounds for the stadium for £2.5million in May 2019.
A month later, Substantia paid Sir Bob £10,000 on top of his monthly fee, which the MP declared was for “additional strategic and corporate advice”.
Weeks later Bromley council formally approved the development.
Substantia brokered the £1.6million sale of the Royal Bell to its client, N Hillman & Sons, owned by the chairman of Clay Wanderers FC. Sir Bob was involved in the application to redevelop the Royal Bell from the start. Days before the council met to make a decision, the MP wrote on Commons notepaper to its chief planning officer praising the “impressive application”.
Again, the MP failed to mention his paid consultancy for Substantia, its links to Hillman and its role in preparing the planning documents.
Concerns about Sir Bob and the Royal Bell project were first raised by Dr Alex May, a blogger, last year.
Sir Bob said: “Any representations that I have made in constituency planning cases have solely related to my role as the local MP and what I believe to be on the public interest. I have declared all outside interests [in the MPS’ Register of Interests] and acted to ensure that no conflict arises.”
Bromley Council said it would not be appropriate to comment on an ongoing parliamentary standards investigation.
The Substantia Group was approached for comment. The company has not been accused of wrongdoing.