Press release from East Devon Council reads as follows:

13 March 2013

East Devon District Council has this evening (Wednesday 13 March) received the resignation of Graham Brown.

Graham Brown has resigned his seat representing East Devon’s Feniton and Buckerell Ward with immediate effect following claims he made about the local planning system to undercover Daily Telegraph reporters. In his resignation statement he cited his reasons as ‘unbearable media pressure’.

Earlier today the council referred Mr Brown’s comments to the police under the Bribery Act 2010 and its own policy on Fraud, Theft and Anti-Corruption, saying that the comments warranted independent examination by the police, who may choose to investigate further.

Mr Brown’s resignation means there will be a by-election in the Ward, and the council will release more details on the process as soon as they are available.

Mark Williams, Chief Executive of East Devon District Council said:

“Graham Brown has tendered his resignation with immediate effect.

“Although Graham Brown has not been a member of our planning committee his comments still raised serious issues and we have responded to them quickly, firmly and fairly.  Given our earlier referral of the issue to the police I do not wish to comment any further at this stage, other than to reassure the public that we will cooperate fully and openly if the police decide to investigate.

“We continue to carefully assess the situation pending a response from the police, and any possible investigation under the Councillor Code of Conduct is on hold until we have that response.”

In a statement accompanying his resignation former Cllr Brown maintained that he has not broken the law but had ‘misjudged the situation’.  His statement read:

“It is with great regret that I have decided today to step down and resign my position as an East Devon District Councillor due to the unbearable media pressure from the Daily Telegraph.

“I wish to announce a full apology to my councillor colleagues across the whole political spectrum at East Devon and to the East Devon District Council officers for my disparaging remarks.

“I would like to add that I stand by the fact that although I thoroughly misjudged the situation, I remain firm in the knowledge that I have not broken the law and will work to clear my name of any wrongdoing.”

More on this at Radio Devon, from 11 a.m this morning, and  on their  1 0’clock News bulletin. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/bbc_radio_devon

Further  coverage of this topic  also expected today, between 1700 and 1900 on Radio Devon’s Bill Buckley show.

Chief Executive Mark Williams revealed to the audience at the packed Council Chamber last night, that EDDC has referred Councilor Graham Brown for investigation by the police. He also said that Council officer Nigel Harrison, the Economic Development Manager has been suspended from his duty as Honorary Secretary of the Business Forum while investigations are being carried out.

Despite this, Mr Williams completely ignored calls for his own resignation for having turned a blind eye to systemic conflicts of interest at the East Devon Business Forum, which Councillor Brown has chaired since 2007. A steady barrage of formal complaints from the public has accelerated in the past year, all firmly brushed aside by Mr. Williams and his senior aides. In reply to a letter on this subject from MP Hugo Swire, Mr Williams dismissed the complaints as being without substance , and informed him that people who were complaining were ‘a small group of politically-motivated activists’.  There was no mention that in 2009, Brown had been removed from his position as Business Champion because of ‘suspicions of impropriety’ over planning issues, by the Council’s own Leader at the time,  Sara Randall-Johnson.

More on last night’s Task and Finish Forum Meeting  on Radio Devon this morning http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/bbc_radio_devon

Reports will be also be posted shortly on SOS website.

See also SIN blog http://sidmouthindependentnews.wordpress.com/