Westminster council deputy leader and cabinet member Robert Davis will step aside from his role while the council investigates the amount of gifts and hospitality he has received.
Davis had been under pressure due to the 514-plus instances of gifts and hospitality he received since the start of 2015. He referred himself to Westminster’s monitor in February.
He said in a statement: “Due to the ongoing interest and wrongful assertions regarding my time as chairman of planning, I have decided to step aside from my roles as deputy leader and cabinet member for business, culture & heritage while the council investigates.
“In 17 years as chairman of planning committees, which granted hundreds of applications and resulted in the council receiving substantial sums for affordable housing, public realm and other public amenity, I have at all times acted with the independence and probity required by my role.
“My desire to rigorously declare all meetings and hospitably, regardless of its nature, underpins this transparency and independence.”
In a statement to stakeholders, leader of the council, councillor Nickie Aiken, said: “As you may know, councillor Davis recently referred himself to the city council’s monitoring officer following a story regarding his declarations of interest. Whilst there is no indication of wrongdoing, the council has appointed an independent QC to work with the monitoring officer to ensure this process is conducted thoroughly and properly.
“Our residents need reassurance that the planning process is not only impartial, but is seen to be impartial. That is why, when I became leader over a year ago, I changed the way meetings between developers and the council take place.
“It is also why I’ve asked the council’s chief executive to look at all aspects of the decision-making process to ensure planning is, and is seen as, an independent and impartial process.”
Councillor Tim Mitchell will assume the majority of councillor Davis’ responsibilities while the investigation takes place, with councillor Daniel Astaire taking full responsibility for all public realm schemes and place-shaping.
Westminster Property Association chair James Cooksey said: “We believe transparency is critical to the planning process, and we will support Westminster City Council in any way it needs to ensure the property industry’s dealings with politicians and officers are open and accountable.”
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