A council row has erupted over claims 'direct pressure' was exerted on a councillor to withdraw his call-in of the Scunthorpe steelworks electric arc furnace (EAF) application. The EAF application was decided by councillors at a special planning meeting on April 30, after Labour Cllr Tony Ellerby called the decision in. This is a mechanism councillors take if they believe a matter should not happen under delegated powers.
Labour councillors at the meeting spoke of 'intimidation' to withdraw the call-in. Scunthorpe Live followed up, and their group leader has since clarified the matter relates to a senior elected member of the council. There is no suggestion of parties outside of the council pressuring for the call-in's withdrawal.
Read More: ‘Disgusting mess’ - clean-up shifts 34 tonnes of rubbish, including more than 60 mattresses and 25 sofas, from tenfoots Government cash to help transform Scunthorpe building into community association centre The Conservative council leader Cllr Rob Waltham has indicated he did not recognise such call-in withdrawal pressure occurring. He has instead criticised Labour councillors for voting against the electric arc furnace. Though Labour councillors voted against the EAF, a Conservative councillor also did.
Labour intend to submit the matter to the North Lincolnshire Council 's standards committee. The decision to approve British Steel's proposed electric arc furnace was decided by the chair's casting vote , with the planning committee .
