AN OUTSPOKEN Ryedale councillor has been publicly reprimanded over allegations relating to potential development schemes in Malton.

Coun Paul Andrews was criticised in a statement read by Coun Brian Cottam, chairman of Ryedale District Council’s planning committee, at the start of last week’s committee meeting.

Coun Cottam said: “It has come to my attention that an email has been circulated to councillors, officers of the council and members of the public, making a serious allegation about the discharge of the council’s planning committee functions.

“A circular email from Coun Andrews dated October 20, alleges that Ryedale District Council is selling planning permissions in return for development gain on several large sites in Malton.

“This is a serious allegation. He has not explained how he has reached those conclusions or the evidence upon which they are based. I reject his assertions.”

Coun Cottam added: “By making such assertons, Paul Andrews is putting the worst possible interpretation upon the motives and actions of council officers who put forward recommendations which he disagrees with, and the decisions of councillors. He is also showing a tendency to make strong but unfounded allegations against them.”

He challenged Coun Andrews, a member of the committee: “If you have evidence that the council is selling planning permissions in return for development gain you should pass that evidence to the council’s solicitor. If you do not have such evidence you should retract the allegation and apologise to members of the committee and officers.”

Council leader Coun Keith Knaggs, said later: “It is now for anyone who wants to make a complaint about Coun Andrews to do so to the monitoring officer, Anthony Winship. That could lead to an assessment of the complaint by a sub-committee of the standards committee.”

Coun Andrews said in a statement: “I consider Coun Cottam’s statement to the committee to be no more than a personal and political attack which has little to do with standards.”

He added: “He went to some lengths to take officer advice, but then gave me no prior warning of his intention to make the statement. This was a deliberate political trick which was designed to take me by surprise.”