We have nothing to hide, say councillors (From Bury Times)

We have nothing to hide, say councillors

10:21am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in News

Demial: Former Bury council leader Cllr Bob Bibby

A FORMER Bury Council leader has denied any wrongdoing after he was arrested by police on suspicion of corruption.

Cllr Bob Bibby and his partner Cllr Jim Taylor were detained after 12 police officers carried out a dawn raid on their home in Booth Road, Bacup, on Tuesday.

Police said they were investigating allegations that the two Conservative councillors had accepted bribes in relation to a planning application in Radcliffe.

They also arrested three other men suspected of submitting the application. In an exclusive candid interview with the Bury Times yesterday, Cllr Bibby said he — and Cllr Taylor — strenuously rejected the allegations.

He said: “Bribery hasn’t been a part of local government for 30 years — those days are long gone.

“I turn 70 this year. I have had 13 years in local politics and have been around long enough to know that such corruption is not only impossible to hide, but undesirable given the negative attention it is bound to bring to those involved. I have nothing to hide and I can speak for Jim as well. These allegations are unfounded.”

According to Cllr Bibby, the allegations centre around a planning application tabled in February, 2011 by a property company.

The application was for 200 homes and a warehouse to be built on land at Bury Road and York Street in Radcliffe.

Cllr Bibby said he was aware of a planning application that might be problematic because the houses would be on or near a flood plain.

Cllr Bibby said police told him they had found text messages alleging that he would take a £10,000 payment in exchange for co-operation with the application. Cllr Bibby strongly denies send ing or receiving any such message.

In April, 2011, members of Bury’s planning committee granted permission, acting on a planning officer’s recommendation, with an order the applicant must adhere to 26 conditions.

Cllr Bibby, who was council leader at that time, said: “I am not in a position to influence planning at all. As council leader, you generally encourage investment in your town and you want companies to come in and clean up grotspots and provide businesses that create jobs and homes for families.

“But when it comes to the details of particular applications, that is not for the council leader.

“That is why developers have pre-application talks with planning officers and why the planning committee makes decisions. To allege that someone would pay £10,000 to one individual in relation to an application is very strange.”

On Tuesday, detectives and uniformed officers seized computers and paperwork from Bury Town Hall and from business premises in Moston.

They also searched addresses in Kersal, Altrincham and Didsbury. All five men detained, aged 45 to 69, were released without charge on Tuesday evening and bailed until a date in April.

Police say the arrests came as a result of an intelligence-led operation carried out in June 2011. Bury divisional commander Chief Superintendent Jon Rush said: “This has been a complex investigation and these arrests are the result of a lot of hard work by a dedicated team of officers. I recognise this operation will cause some disruption at the council.

“However, the council is co-operating with the investigation and we intend to keep disruption to a minimum.”

Cllr Bibby, aged 69, is a Conservative councillor for Church ward, and became council leader in May 2007.

He was replaced in May last year when the Tories lost overall control to Labour. Cllr Taylor, aged 64, was elected in 2000 and is a Conservative councillor for North Manor.

A council spokesman said: “We are currently assisting police with their investigation so it would be inappropriate to comment further.”