Caught on camera: Technical gaffe sees Corby Council’s chief executive laugh after approval of controversial warehouse park

Corby Council’s chief executive was caught on camera laughing after the authority’s planning committee approved a controversial warehouse park application.

Chief executive Norman Stronach, head of planning Iain Smith, monitoring officer Paul Goult and committee administrator Pauline Brennan did not know the cameras were still rolling and their comments were being broadcast after the planning meeting last night (June 28) to decide whether Mulberry Development’s application for the large warehouse park near Stanion would go ahead.

After a two-hour meeting, at which several residents voiced their objections to the scheme, the decision was unanimously approved by the planning committee which was chaired by Labour councillor Julie Riley.

After all of the councillors had signed off the Zoom chat, the four officers stayed online and had what they thought was a private chat.

After monitoring officer Paul Goult puts his thumb up to the camera the officers are seen laughing and then Norman Stronach says: “Well thank you everybody. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when they started voting but anyway it couldn't have been much more emphatic.”

He then thanks the head of planning and his team – who had recommended that despite being outside of the masterplan for the area the development was approved due to the economic benefits it would bring to the town.

Mr Smith, who has worked at the authority for the past two decades, then said he had been emailing the applicant at the start of the meeting because they had not logged on to the virtual meeting.

The recording is not currently being hosted on the council’s YouTube channel because of ‘technical problems’.

Objector Bill Heelan from Stanion Parish Council who spoke at the meeting and watched the after meeting chat, said the chief executive’s comments were inappropriate.

He said: “I think it is complete and utter disdain for the voters. Who does he think he is? I think the conversation was totally inappropriate. As Gordon Brown found out – don’t leave your microphone on.”

In 2010 then Prime Minister Mr Brown was overheard on his microphone calling a voter a bigoted woman after she challenged him on the economy.

The Corby resident who took the recording of the gaffe and shared it with the Local Democracy Reporting Service said: “ It makes you wonder about the impartiality of these people. Residents were clearly very upset over this scheme and it had 200 plus objections. The way they are laughing and joking is very suspicious.”

A spokesman for Corby Council said: “It is correct that the live stream to YouTube was not terminated directly at close of meeting yesterday evening (Tuesday 29th June).

“A small group of officers continued a conversation which related to having managed to get through a “difficult” meeting and no remarks or references were made to objectors or applicants. The conversation related to the “mechanics” of the meeting and some technical issues that had arisen, but nevertheless we apologise for any concerns caused.

“With reference to impartiality it should be noted that members determined the application. The officer role was to present the report and the recommendation to members. The officer recommendation was for approval with conditions.

“It should also be noted that no members were party to this post-meeting conversation, and it took place after the public meeting closed.

“The participants were unaware that live streaming was continuing, and no consent for this had been obtained. This was an operational error and as a consequence steps are being taken to ensure that the recording of the public meeting only is uploaded onto our YouTube channel in due course.”

Virtual meetings are a new feature for local authorities and have sprung up out of necessity during the coronavirus pandemic. This is only the second meeting the authority has hosted.

The warehouse park off the A43 is one of several major development Mulberry Developments has brought forward in Corby in recent years. It was behind the Tesco development in Corby and the company, which is owned Robert Wilkinson, also built the Corby Savoy cinema off George Street. It is currently preparing a planning application to build a hotel and apartment complex on the former Tresham site on George Street.

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