Tory quits after legal advice (From This is Hampshire)

Cllr Stephen Reid to concentrate on county role

2:00pm Saturday 4th February 2012 in News By Simon Moss

Cllr Stephen Reid

A PROMINENT Conservative politician has stood down from his key planning role on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council after being advised that he faced a potential “conflict of interest”.

Councillor Stephen Reid, who sits on both the borough and Hamp-shire County councils, took on the newly-created Cabinet post for strategic development at the county last month.

This will involve him looking at ways to restructure and reorganise the council to maintain services while cutting spending.

However, he has been told by legal advisers that this could create a conflict of interest with his role as chairman of the borough council’s planning and infrastructure committee – a role he has held since 2009 – and as a result he has decided to resign.

Cllr Reid, who represents the Buckskin ward on the borough council, said: “When I took the Cabinet position on the county, I was told that could potentially generate a conflict of interest in the planning function at the borough council. Therefore, I must stand down.”

In recent months, Cllr Reid (right) has come under fire from political opponents for his role in the Manydown land saga that continues to dominate the borough council.

Cllr Reid chaired meetings of the committee which looked at what sites to build new homes on over the next 15 years, despite him actively campaigning against development of the council-owned Manydown site for many years.

At the time, opponents argued he faced a conflict of interest as potential development sites were not treated equally.

The Conservative, who represents the Basingstoke North West division on the county council, said his decision to step aside had nothing to do with the Manydown debate.

Speaking of his role as committee chairman, Cllr Reid added: “In the main, I have enjoyed the role, there has been a lot of very important work done but I think I have to concentrate on the county, getting my feet under the table there as that is a very important function.”

The role of committee chairman carries with it an annual special responsibility allowance in excess of £7,000.

Cllr Reid’s resignation will be confirmed at next week’s meeting of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, where his successor will be appointed.

Cllr Mark Ruffell is expected to be handed the role if he is backed by the rest of the Conservative group. Group leader Cllr Robert Donnell commented: “It is a great loss for Basingstoke and Deane, but in this case the borough’s loss is Hampshire’s gain.”