A MEETING between councillors and a college about a potential housing site has been blasted for taking place ‘behind closed doors.’

Kingston Maurward College invited any councillors from Stinsford Parish Council who would be interested to meet with them to seek their views to help ‘inform any future development plans.’

But councillor George Armstrong said he suggested the meeting should be postponed and held in public at the next parish council meeting.

He said the college presented an update on the plans which included 24 houses at Lower Bockhampton.

Mr Armstrong said: “I condemn the secrecy around these plans.

“I think that all the discussions between Kingston Maurward and the parish council on such sensitive issues should be held in public, not behind closed doors.

“Secret meetings between developers and the parish council subvert the democratic nature of the planning process. I call upon Kingston Maurward to hold all its meetings on these plans in public in future and I ask my fellow-councillors not to be lured into this back door process and to remember their commitment to open democratic processes and their commitment to the full involvement of the local community.”

Chairman of the Parish Council Andy Stillman said the meeting was not a council one and that people had been invited there to hear plans, give their opinions as individuals if they wished- but not in any formal council capacity. It was about ‘exploring ideas and improving communications between all parties’ so that ‘informed’ recommendations could be made about any future proposals that came forward, Mr Stillman said.

He said it had been suggested at a previous parish council meeting that it would be a good idea if councillors met with the college and so the meeting had a president.

He said there was no ‘conspiracy’ and nothing ‘cloak and dagger’ was going on.

Mr Stillman said: “It was just to get a better idea of what the college is thinking.”

He added: “It wasn’t a secret meeting, it was a private meeting. It wasn’t a meeting to make decisions, it was a meeting to find out a little bit more.”

He reassured people that if a planning application came forward that they would have open sessions for the public to discuss plans and give their opinions before the parish council made any recommendations.

In January the college withdrew a planning application to build 70 houses on land near Lower Bockhampton. The planning application had sparked controversy in the parish with residents holding a protest at the college last November.

Principal of Kingston Maurward College Clare Davison, said: “The college sought the views of leaders of the parish in order to inform any future development plans.

“Opinions and ideas on the way forward were expressed and discussed. If the college decides to proceed with a formal planning application in the future, the proposals will be presented to the parish council.”

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