Sussex firm’s link to Tory event

The level of Billingshurstbased developer Thakeham Homes’ involvement in the Conservative Party Conference has been the subject of multiple reports in national newspapers.

The company, which is promoting a site near Buck BarnCrossroadsforthousands of new homes as part of Horsham’s local plan review, was an exhibitor and fringe event host in Manchester as well as sponsoring the lanyards worn by conference delegates.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson even visited Thakeham’s stand and last week its chief executive officer Rob Boughton said: “We are here at the conference to listen and share our best insights on the zero carbon construction processes and sustainable working practices we are pioneering.”

But Isabella Tree, who along with her husband owns the nearby Knepp Estate, described the extent of investment by Thakeham at the conference as ‘eyewatering’.

Her concerns were highlightedinnationalreports alongsidethenews,exclusively reported in the County Times last week, that Adrian Lee had stepped down as chairman of the Horsham Conservative Association after it emerged he had been employed since mid-August in Thakeham’s external affairs team.

He said he had no involvement whatsoever in Thakeham’s plans in Horsham district and described how ‘whilst there is no actual conflict of interest, I recognise that there must be no possible perception of any conflict and I have therefore stepped down from my voluntary role as chairman of Horsham Conservative Association with immediate effect’.