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21
Oct 2020
Councillor's departure 'will not affect' High Court judicial review
Harrogate Borough Council has said the departure of its cabinet member for planning will not affect an upcoming judicial review over its local plan.
Cllr Rebecca Burnett, who was appointed to the position in 2015, stepped down yesterday with immediate effect.
Cllr Burnett oversaw the development of the borough's local plan, which caused controversy after the council picked Green Hammerton over Flaxby for a 3,000 home settlement..
Residents in the village campaigned against the decision up until the plan was adopted in March 2020 and wrote to Cllr Burnett earlier this month “to express our disappointment and grave concern about the process of creating the new settlement development plan document”.
The borough council confirmed that Cllr Burnett’s had left to concentrate on her full-time job as marketing manager at bus company Transdev Blazefield.
But the news comes just a week before the borough council is set to appear before the High Court in London for a judicial review with developer Flaxby Park Ltd.
Read more:
Flaxby development set for High Court battle
Council leader pledges “genuine consultation” on Green Hammerton development
Judicial review looms after 2,750-home Flaxby development refused
The developer has claimed the council’s decision to choose Green Hammerton over its site in the local plan was based on “flawed information of a scant, conflicting and contradictory nature”.
Both Flaxby Park and Cllr Burnett have had a fractious relationship. In 2018, the company submitted a formal complaint to the council over "several factually misleading statements" regarding the basis for policies with in the then draft local plan.
The company wrote to her again in March 2019 over "a series of defamatory statements" made on the reopening of Golsborough Railway Station, but later decided not to make another complaint.
A spokesperson for the borough council said Cllr Burnett would not be involved in the hearing next week and that her departure would not affect proceedings.
Conservative councillor Cllr Burnett previously worked in Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones’ office as a caseworker.
Cllr Burnett will continue to serve as a councillor for the Harrogate St Georges ward in Rossett, a position she has held since 2014.
Cllr Tim Myatt has now been appointed as cabinet member for planning.
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