CM/0011/25 - Spade Oak Quarry, Marlow Road, Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 3SB (part 10 of 12)

Chairman, I'm going to try some, I'm going down the same angle, but I'm going to try it from a different angle, basically. So I think I'm going to do this not just as a subject member of this committee, but as a chair of standards committee. I just want to be clear, and I want to put this question to the officers, because I raised this, the council is simultaneously the land owner, the applicant, and the planning authority determining this application. There's quite a lot of sentiments locally and from local ward members and parish that it's a bit of an unusual position. But for the benefit of my councillors, and I think there is some context behind this, I've done some research. So I think about a year and a half ago, 2nd January 2025, Cabinet passed a formal key decision approving in principle the creation of SANG at Spade Oak and directing the officers to proceed. That decision was then called in by the then Growth and Infrastructure Housing Committee, a select committee supported by 23 elected councillors. Now, ultimately, the cabinet decision stood. Good. So I just want to ask, really, the officers, and I want to get on public record, just so for councillors here, while we're doing this, and for the residents and everyone involved, that the recommendation before this committee has been reached independently on planning merits alone, and consistent with professional judgment of your department, not as a consequence of the cabinet decision that preceded it, in principle, to approve of SANG. That's all I wanted to hear. So thank you. Yes, I can confirm that.