A LEADING councillor won’t face sanctions for ‘damaging’ public confidence over local planning decisions, a report has concluded.

Cllr Ross McWilliams (Con: Cox Green), lead member for housing opportunity, won’t face any consequences despite ‘bringing Royal Borough Council into disrepute’ following a controversial planning meeting last November.

He and his fellow Conservatives sitting on the Maidenhead development management panel approved developer CALA Homes’ plans to build 80 homes on open space land known as Deerswood Meadow in Ray Mill Road East against officer recommendations for refusal.

Cllr McWilliams, who later resigned from panel, liked the offer of nearly 50 per cent affordable housing despite the flooding fears and impact on open space raised by planning officers and residents.

Slough Observer: Drawing of CALA's plansDrawing of CALA's plans

CALA Homes would withdraw its scheme when it was called in by the Secretary of State.

However, at the meeting, he did not declare he worked for a company called BECG, which does public relations on behalf of CALA Homes, nor did he declare he ‘spoke positively’ of the application on social media in the past.

Cllr McWilliams was an account director at BECG, which was inputted on his register of interests on the council’s website. He now works at BECG’s rival firm Grayling.

He affirmed he had ‘no personal benefit’ from projects or clients and he did not work on any projects relating to CALA Homes or within the Royal Borough as he had a ‘contractual firewall’ that prevented him to do so. He added he should have declared his interests at the meeting in hindsight.

READ MORE: Senior Maidenhead councillor was advised not to vote on Deerswood Meadow plans

He also said he didn’t voice support for the scheme via social media but had expressed general support for affordable housing, but not for the specific planning application.

In a leaked document seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, it revealed monitoring officer Emma Duncan advised Cllr McWilliams via email that given his past comments on the scheme, it would be ‘wisest’ to exclude himself, which he ignored.

Cllr John Baldwin (Lib Dem: Belmont), who called out Cllr McWilliams’ failure to declare his interest at November’s meeting, and 19 residents lodged code of complaints, alleging the Conservative councillor failed to disclose his interest, used his position improperly to advantage himself and others and bring his role and the council into disrepute.

Investigating officer Richard Lingard found Cllr McWilliams to bring his role and the council in disrepute but cleared him on the other two counts.

READ MORE: Maidenhead councillor responds to housing plan backlash

At the hearing on August 17, Cllr McWilliams argued it was ‘difficult’ to conclude he brought the council in disrepute if he was cleared on the other two counts. He also highlighted the council’s constitution did not preclude him from taking decisions on planning applications despite being cabinet member for affordable housing.

Mr Lingard’s report was presented to councillors and an independent person sitting on the member standard sub-committee where it unanimously agreed that Cllr McWilliams’ actions caused disrepute to his role and to the council.

However, the Tory councillor will face no punishment. The report stated: “Given the other alleged breaches in the complaint had been dismissed, and Cllr McWilliams’ actions were likely a result of his passion and enthusiasm for the expansion of affordable housing provision in the borough (rather than intentional deceit) it would not be appropriate to impose a sanction.”

READ MORE: Maidenhead councillor responds to backlash over private employer

In a statement, Cllr McWilliams said he found it “odd” the sub-committee decided he brought the council into disrepute despite acting in accordance with the law and the council’s policy but respected the findings.

He also said he “deeply regretted” any resident losing faith in the planning process, especially if his actions had anything to do with it.

He said: “I am relieved that this conclusion has been reached after months of politically motivated social media abuse, wild conspiracy theories, and threats.

“Indeed, some of the social media abuse seems to have been deliberately encouraged by some opposition councillors, whilst the leaking of the confidential reports to the newspapers was a new low for political discourse in our borough.

“For some, it is seemingly impossible to comprehend that someone might disagree with them for genuine reasons.”