'Conflict of interest' concerns after council employee's objection brings grit store plans to committee

Councillor Gary Stapleton questioned why a member of staff was not named on a report presented to the planning committee today (April 1, 2025), since his objection was the reason the application needed committee approval.

A planning application, which sought retrospective permission for grit storage and the approval of plans to build a grit store in Mexborough, was presented to the planning committee because the plans were “subject to an objection by a staff member of the Development Directorate”.

Officers said: “We wouldn’t normally name individual objectors for GDPR purposes.”

The committee was told the staff member in question objected to the plans as a nearby resident.

Cllr Stapleton responded: “My concern is that he has objected because he lives nearby, but it feels like his position has brought this to committee.

“That to me is a huge conflict of interest.”

Officers in the committee meeting acknowledged the confusion and concern and said: “We can take a look at changing the way this works.”

The plans would enable the applicants to build a grit store in the car park of the Mexborough business centre.

As previously reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the plans include erecting an acoustic fence to limit noise passed on to neighbouring residential properties.

Committee members heard how the site has been used for gritting operations for around five years and enforcement from the council had brought around the application for retrospective permission.

The application for retrospective permission and to build the grit store were granted unanimously by the councillors present.

It comes with conditions that gritting operations cannot be conducted before 7am and after 9pm, Monday to Sunday.

Environmental health teams had previously objected to the plans, but the objection was withdrawn after the applicants agreed to install the acoustic fence.