MP BARRY SHEERMAN is celebrating after receiving a “grovelling” apology following a planning inspector’s remarks over his case against Tesco.
And the Huddersfield politician has vowed to use the information to call for a new inquiry into the building of the store in Southgate which has since been given the green light.
Mr Sheerman was furious after planning inspector Robert Mellor accused of him of launching into a “poorly briefed rant” when he gave evidence against the supermarket at a public inquiry last year.
The Labour MP – who fears the development would harm town centre traders – convinced the government to hold the inquiry into the plan.
Mr Mellor chaired the two-week inquiry at the Hudawi Centre in November and earlier this month his report into the Tesco application was released.
In his report he accused Mr Sheerman of producing a “bizarre” and “superficial” case.
He claimed that the MP’s comments were “unworthy”, unsubstantiated by any evidence and that they raised no planning issue.
Mr Mellor added that: “Mr Sheerman had difficulty moving away from a surprisingly poorly briefed rant about Tesco and descending to actual planning issues.
“(He) gives no significant insight into any planning matter. It appears he does not want Tesco but would have a Waitrose.”
Angry Mr Sheerman labelled the comments unprofessional and taken out of context from what was said at the inquiry.
He has now received a full apology for the inspector’s remarks.
The letter from planning inspectorate director Rynd Smith explains that planning inspectors must balance evidence to ensure the best outcomes in the public interest.
In doing so, he says, they must report and represent such evidence fully and fairly.
Mr Smith added: “In his report Mr Mellor refers to submissions that were made at the public inquiry by other parties which were critical of your involvement.
“Unfortunately, his reference to these submissions did not make sufficiently clear that he was reporting the views of others, which I accept have left readers of the report to conclude that it was he who was criticising you.
“That was not Mr Mellor’s intention.
“In hindsight, I acknowledge that some of the appeal parties reported statements that would be capable of being regarded as intemperate, drafted in a manner and using language that was not appropriate in an official document without good cause.
“In this respect it appears that whilst Mr Mellor’s report was quite correctly open, in respect of its recording the views of others, the manner of that recording ought to have been more carefully considered.
“On that basis I would like to offer my apologies to you for the distress that this report has caused you.”
Mr Smith added that Mr Mellor had been formerly advised of the apology and that action would be taken to ensure that “uncharacteristic” incident would not be repeated.
Mr Sheerman told the Examiner that he was pleased with the apology but added that this is not the end of the matter as he now plans to write to the Secretary of State.
“It’s quite a grovelling apology,’’ he said. “But what happened is disgraceful and shows that this is not an independent inquiry.
“I was very angry about the comments. The inspector was rude and what he said (in the report) was taken out of context as they were the barrister’s comments.
“It (the application) has been totally distorted by the report. A lot of damage has been done to my reputation and also to the good people of Huddersfield.
“I’m going to send a copy of this to Eric Pickles and state that this shows the inspector was biased against those like me against Tesco.
“This is not finished. I’m going to call for a re-run of the inquiry so we can redo the submissions.”
