This week, it has come to light that the leader of the Council has, it would appear been making personal introductions of political friends to planning officers who would eventually considered a planning application from his political friend.
Cllr Bell, we are told set up a meeting between planning officers and someone who wanted to submit a planning application. This someone was none other than the Labour GLA member for Ealing and Hillingdon, Dr Onkar Sahota.
The application was agreed by officers but not by the planning committee. Cllr Colm Costello who is a member of the planning committee had the following to say,"Residents are entitled to think that the planning processes in Ealing are not easily influenced and that it is not a case of "it's who you know, not what you know" when it comes to planning in the borough. The leader of the Council needs to convince us all here that it doens't matter who you know in Ealing, your application will be treated the same as any other application".
With full Council this Tuesday evening, Cllr Bell could not have a better opportuntiy to explain himself and reassure residents that the purpose of the meeting he set up for Dr Sahota and planning officers which we believe he attended was not to exert undue influence on planning officers.