A statement

The report raises more questions than it answers and shows the council as being at best naive at worst negligent. Why, for instance, did the former Chief Executive Bruce Barrell conduct much of the negotiation with Tesco and why did he feel the need to sign the agreement before the new Council took power? and why if it was so important to provide a separation of interests between the Council as landowner and the Council as Local Planning Authority can an agreement signed on behalf of the landowner be used to influence that of the Local Planning Authority? Only an independent inquiry can get to the bottom of this mess and any future determination of planning permission related to Tesco must be made by the Planning Inspectorate.