AN estimated £40,000 of council taxpayers’ money has been spent investigating matters surrounding Poole’s planning system.

Cllr Brian Clements, whose questions to council elicited some of the sums involved in an enquiry and standards board hearing, said he was concerned at the cost.

Sir Michael Pitt’s four-month investigation following widespread and persistent rumours over planning issues, cost £29,799.

And a one-day Standards Board hearing into a planning committee, at which Cllr Carole Deas was found to have breached the code of conduct after interrupting proceedings, is said to have cost £6,876.

However, Cllr Clements believes the £1,553 cost of the hearing plus the £6,876 cost of the deputy monitoring officers time was an “economical” estimate.

He said a 209-page book of evidence was produced and no mention had been made of the costs of PR staff, arrangements for meetings or reprographics.

“I would be surprised if the full cost was less than £10,000,” he said.

“The £29,799 cost quoted for Pitt does not include office support and other related costs, bearing in mind the considerable number of meetings involved, I suspect these will be quite substantial,” he said.

“It seems that the taxpayer is forking out well over £40,000 to investigate dissatisfaction and grumbling around the way in which the planning function has been directed.”

Replying, council leader, Cllr Brian Leverett said of the standards committee: “The cost to the local taxpayer is something that has been imposed upon the council by central government and in holding a hearing the council is complying with legal requirements.” He added: “It is important that these matters are dealt with correctly and, in terms of such proceedings, it is not necessarily appropriate to link the costs with the outcome.”

Officer costs relating to the Pitt enquiry were treated as part of their general duties, he said.

“I was very pleased that Sir Michael Pitt found no evidence of wrong-doing or impropriety in development control matters and I am happy that residents in Poole can have this assurance from such a highly respected and experienced local government expert,” he added.