A FULL independent inquiry will be held into the planning processes at Bolton Council after the leading Labour group responded to accusations of improper practices by stating “bring it on.”

A motion put forward by Conservative Councillor Norman Critchley calling for the inquiry was unanimously approved and the Labour group went a step further and made a commitment to carry out reviews of planning on a regular basis.

But the ruling party labelled the motion put forward by Cllr Critchley – which contained accusations of block voting at planning committees – as a “strange, insulting and disgraceful attack.”

During a fierce and fiery debate at the full council meeting, Cllr Critchley outlined his motion by stating: “Do I think our planning officers are corrupt? No, do I think our elected members are corrupt? Hopefully not – but do I think that the system is open to corruption? Yes.”

He then asked councillors to back his motion for a full independent inquiry, which he said will “reassure the public that we can and will be transparent in our approach.”

Speaking for the Labour group, planning committee member Cllr Nick Peel announced that his party would be supporting the motion and agreeing to the inquiry, in a rousing speech he stated: “We are not going to be browbeaten by a very dubious stance at some form of moral indignation by the party opposite and we are certainly not going to be accused of a lack of transparency and openness.”

“Let’s put our cards on the table and arrange an independent peer review through the Local Government Association and planning advisory service – in fact, let’s go further, we will make a commitment to do an independent review on a regular basis.”

He added: “One it’s done and once our process has been given a clean bill of health, we’ll all know just what this motion was really about – playing party politics to the gallery.”

The call for an inquiry was welcomed by Liberal Democrat leader Roger Hayes, who said: “The public are concerned that there are some very strange things going on at planning and I agree with them so I will bring my examples to the inquiry.”

UKIP Councillor Paul Richardson also backed the plan, adding: “It is, in my view, not too much to say that the way in which things seem to operate at the moment is a perversion of the planning process and a breach of the constitution.”