Former leader suspended by Harborough District Council's ruling Conservative group

Well now.

Neil Bannister, the former Conservative leader of Harborough District Council, has been suspended from the ruling Tory group for six months.

According to the Leicester Mercury:

Neil Bannister has been given a six month suspension from the Harborough District Council Conservative councillors group after he wrote a letter to Leicestershire County Council about the 2,750 home Lutterworth East scheme.

The former Conservative police and crime commissioner candidate was a member of the district council planning committee that decided in July, by a single vote, to approve the controversial housing scheme, proposed by the county council which owns the 550 acres of farmland earmarked for development.

Having voted to approve the scheme, Cllr Bannister subsequently wrote a letter, seen by LeicestershireLive, to county council leader Nick Rushton and chief executive raising concerns over elements of development.

He wrote in his capacity as chairman of the South Leicestershire Conservative Association and purported to set out the views of Tory MP Alberto Costa who had spoken in support of the application at the district council planning meeting.

According to the Mercury, the county council’s director of law and governance has said there was 'strong concern' about what Cllr Bannister had written.

Later. You can download Neil Bannister's letter and the reply from director of law and governance on the county council website.