Councillor cleared of misconduct over windfarm hospitality

By Jane Candlish

A Highland councillor has been cleared of breaking the councillors’ code of
conduct by accepting hospitality from a windfarm company he later supported
during a debate.

Thomas Prag was reported to the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in
Public Life after he spoke in favour of ABO Wind’s application for a wind
speed mast near Struy, Inverness-shire, during the south planning committee
last year.

Anti-wind campaigner Lyndsey Ward claimed that Mr Prag should have declared
that he was a guest of the firm at a function in October 2013.

Councillor Hamish Wood left the committee meeting because he had been at
the same function.

She complained to the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in
June last year.

Now the commissioner, Bill Thomson, has ruled that Mr Prag did not breach
the code.

Mr Prag is chairman of the council’s strategic planning, development and
infrastructure committee and the planning review body as well as a member
of the south planning applications committee.

He said yesterday that he was pleased with the ruling.

Mr Prag added: “I am reassured that my judgement was found to be OK.

“We do have to be careful and we are careful.

“But it is trick balance for someone in my role where you need to be open
to everybody and meet people about business and attending some of these
events is seen as part of the job.

“I will go on being careful.”

He had checked beforehand with the planning head, and was told there was no
conflict of interest.

Ms Ward said: “I am dissatisfied with the decision and even more
dissatisfied that I cannot challenge it without a judicial review.
Councillor Prag is in a position of some influence sitting on three
planning committees – including two as chairman and he, in particular,
should not, in my opinion, be accepting hospitality from developers active
in his planning area.

“There can be no circumstances where to do so would be appropriate and I
sincerely hope that he considers a little more carefully what he accepts
and from whom in the future.”

She added that she thought no planning councillor should “go on jollies
with developers”.