A councillor who was secretly filmed claiming he could secure planning permission for a fee has been suspended.
The East Devon District Council Conservative party group suspended Cllr Graham Brown this afternoon (Monday, March 11).
The party has also removed him from his post of "member champion for business and tourism" on the district council.
The move follows coverage of Cllr Brown's professional work as a planning consultant, where reporters from the Daily Telegraph filmed Cllr Brown insinuating that he could influence local planning decisions.
The council is now assessing whether it should investigate this matter as a possible breach of its Code of Conduct.
Cllr Paul Diviani, leader of the Conservative group on the district council said: "I and other members feel that Cllr Brown has brought himself, the party and council in to disrepute with his comments, and even though his interest as a planning consultant has been declared this does not excuse the remarks he made.
"This was not conduct becoming of a Conservative Party member, and as such I think it is only appropriate to suspend Cllr Brown from the Party and seek a resolution from members that he should no longer be welcome as a representative of the East Devon Conservative Group - removal from the party is not within the remit of the EDDC Conservative Group where matters of this nature are dealt with by the relevant Conservative Party Constituency Association.
"Cllr Brown is not a member of the council's planning committee, and whilst there is no immediate evidence of Cllr Brown exerting any improper influence on planning decisions; with his claims he has tarred the council, its staff and other Members with the same unpleasant brush."
The East Devon Conservative Party Group is set to meet on March 20 and may ratify proposals to remove Cllr Brown from the East Devon District Council Conservative Party Group at that meeting.
Cllr Brown has defended his actions saying he was speaking as a planning consultant and not as a councillor.To see the video, click here
