Northern Ireland

DUP councillor sits in for planning applications lobbied on by MLA husband

DUP MLA Trevor Clarke employs his wife Linda, a DUP councillor, as an office administrator
DUP MLA Trevor Clarke employs his wife Linda, a DUP councillor, as an office administrator DUP MLA Trevor Clarke employs his wife Linda, a DUP councillor, as an office administrator

A DUP councillor did not declare an interest for planning applications lobbied on by her MLA husband.

Linda Clarke continued to sit on the planning committee of Antrim and Newtownabbey council while Trevor Clarke made representations.

The code of conduct requires councillors to withdraw from discussions where they have a "pecuniary interest, direct or indirect", and declare significant private or personal non-pecuniary interests.

It emerges after an Irish News investigation yesterday revealed Mr Clarke is running a sideline business lobbying on behalf of planning applicants.

The South Antrim MLA has rejected concerns that his business Versatile Consultancy is a conflict of interest or breach of the assembly code of conduct, which prohibits paid advocacy.

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Mr Clarke lost his seat in March 2017's assembly election but was selected by the DUP in June that year to replace Paul Girvan after he became an MP.

His wife was a member of the council planning committee from March to May 2017 during the period when Mr Clarke was unelected.

She had previously been employed by Mr Clarke to work in his constituency office. Mrs Clarke has since returned to work in his office since his co-option to Stormont.

In May 2017, Mr Clarke attended the committee and spoke on two planning applications, which were in relation to domestic dwellings in the Randalstown area.

The DUP's Trevor and Linda Clarke with party leader Arlene Foster
The DUP's Trevor and Linda Clarke with party leader Arlene Foster The DUP's Trevor and Linda Clarke with party leader Arlene Foster

Both had been recommended for refusal by planning officials.

Mrs Clarke did not absent herself from the meeting during discussions and votes on these applications, according to the minutes.

Minutes of the meeting also do not record any declarations of interest being made in relation to the applications.

For both applications, a majority of councillors backed council officials' recommendations to refuse.

One application had six votes in favour of refusal, three against and one abstention. The other had five in favour of refusal, three against and two abstentions.

The minutes do not record how each individual councillor voted.

According to the councillors' code of conduct, they are required to "declare any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect" on any matter coming before the council, "must not speak or vote" on such matters and should "withdraw from the meeting while that matter is being discussed".

Councillors "must also declare any significant private or personal non-pecuniary interest".

Correspondence seen by The Irish News shows that on March 16 2017, Mr Clarke had emailed to planners in relation to one of the applications.

Mr Clarke told officials he was "working alongside the agent who is currently out of the country".

He also gave his mobile phone number for council staff to contact him if they needed further information on the plans.

Neither of the applications were submitted under Mr Clarke's planning agent business Versatile Consultancy.

The DUP did not respond to requests for a comment.

Mrs Clarke declined to speak to The Irish News when contacted by telephone yesterday.

"No, I have no comment to make – goodbye," she said, before hanging up.

Another of the planning committee members, DUP councillor John Smyth, had also worked in Mr Clarke's office.

A DUP spokesman for Mr Smyth has previously said that "at all times" the councillor has considered applications "only on the planning merits of the case".