Discipline threat to camp-site opponent (Leicester Mercury Tuesday, December 23, 2008)

A councillor has been threatened with disciplinary action over his reaction to secret plans for a travellers' site close to his village.

About 5,000 letters criticising Councillor Peter Batty have been sent to all households in Groby and Ratby by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.

It comes after the Conservative councillor led calls to stop a large travellers' site being considered off Sacheverell Way, in Groby. It was listed as one of six potential sites for travellers and four other locations where existing camps could be expanded, which was leaked to the Leicester Mercury earlier this month.

The authority's director of community and planning services, Trevor Prowse, said Coun Batty has been circulating information of an "incorrect and inflammatory" nature relating to proposals for the Groby site.

As a result, the council's chief executive, Steve Atkinson, has referred him to its standards committee for bringing himself and the council into disrepute.
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In the letter, Mr Prowse said: "I am aware of considerable concern being generated in Groby, arising from the premature, misleading and inaccurate circulation of information suggesting (incorrectly) that a decision has been made in secret about a transit site in the village."

The document detailing the plans was left in a council committee room after a confidential briefing, and then handed to the Mercury.

Mr Prowse said: "The information was provided in a confidential basis. Unfortunately, that information has been widely circulated and is causing considerable and understandable anger and concern among those who consider that decisions have already been made and work commenced. I can assure you that this is not the case."

Last Friday, the authority's refuse staff were asked to deliver the two-page letter as they collected waste to save the council on postage.

The council told the Leicester Mercury today it did not know how much the print-run had cost.

Coun Batty has rejected the council attacks and said his responsibility has to be to the people who elected him.

He said: "The council is very rattled, so much so that I am informed that they are having to resort to sending out misleading leaflets containing personal attacks on me now.

"The council is backing itself into a corner and that will make it impossible for it to go ahead with the grand scheme that they originally had in mind.

"Whatever personal attacks the borough council or fellow borough councillors choose to make on me, I see my responsibility first and foremost as representing the residents of Groby and promoting their wellbeing and best interests above any responsibility to the council itself."

Link to Leicester Mercury with interesting comments!