Leader told: ‘Come clean over warehouse support’
THE Labour leader of Kirklees Council has been urged to “come clean” over his perceived support for a huge distribution centre linked to online retail giant Amazon.
Conservatives say Clr Shabir Pandor needs to outline his involvement in the controversial project, which is earmarked for 59 acres of farmland off junction 26 of the M62 near Cleckheaton.
But Clr Pandor has said he was working to support the council’s huge regeneration plans for the borough and hit back at rivals for using local people “as a political football”.
And he challenged local Tories to prove that Amazon would be the end user of the scheme, saying he had had “no contact” with the company.
Clr Pandor has faced criticism and formal complaints for appearing to suggest he was backing unpopular proposals for the warehouse scheme.
Speaking in August at a meeting of the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee Clr Pandor said: “You’ll also be aware that we’re going to have a big distribution company coming into Kirklees.
“I’m trying my best to actually get the 1,500 jobs in place.”
Local Conservative campaigner Piers Briggs said Clr Pandor’s comments could be interpreted as meaning he was seeking to get the application approved.
Mr Briggs said: “He now needs to set out what ‘doing his best’ involved. What meetings or conversations did he have? What representations has he made to whom? Who else in his Cabinet was involved?”
Mr Briggs was backed by Clr David Hall, leader of the Conservative group on Kirklees Council.
He said: “Only a few weeks ago, Conservative councillors moved a motion at council to remove Kirklees Cabinet members from planning committees, so that decisions there are more transparent, and to remove any accusation that applications are being pushed through by the Labour administration.
“The Labour Party voted that motion down. We now have the Labour leader openly admitting to being involved behind the scenes in trying to bring about one of the biggest greenfield planning applications we have seen.
“Clr Pandor and the Labour Party need to come clean now about their involvement in this episode.”
Clr Pandor gave the comments short shrift and rejected any suggestion that he had attempted to influence a decision on the Cleckheaton site.
He said:“What I won’t be doing is influencing any of the planning decisions associated with any of the major investment coming into Kirklees.
“That is all done through a process that is strictly – and rightly – set out in law.
“Local Tories would do well to practice what they preach and stop using residents as a political football. If the Tories know it’s Amazon then maybe they need to talk to the multinational firm to come clean as I certainly have had no contact with them.”