Todays Echo - Scandal latest 2nd March

[fbm]

Front page headline

BLUES BOSS IN FRAUD PROBE

Story covered on pages 1,2 and 3.

Here are the bits we don't already know.

The Councillor Sean Connors who has been arrested served on the Tewkesbury planning committee from 1995 until 1998 and again from 2003 - 2005. He resigned last year after admitting forging borough council claim forms to receive payments of £2000.

Martin Dawn is looking at building 360 homes in Tewkwsbury. Using another company, Barton Willmore as an agent, MD have supported the need for land at Lockhampton Lane in Tewkesbury to be on the housing plan.

Everyone at Roots Hall is tight lipped. It is OFFICIALLY nothing to do with the football club but some of the offices at RH have been gone through. It is not clear from the report whether or not those offices are just MD offices or SUFC offices.


IMHO there cannot be any statement from the club at present because the matter is a) apparently nothing to do with SUFC and b) under investigation. Ron was unavailable for comment yesterday according to the paper and I would expect to be not in a position to make any further comment at the moment.

 

[Pubey]

cheers FBM

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

Cheers! I know it has nothing directly to do with Southend United but when the owner of the club is "helping police with their enquiries" then I think I have a right to be concerned?

 

[McNasty]

Cheers! I know it has nothing directly to do with Southend United but when the owner of the club is "helping police with their enquiries" then I think I have a right to be concerned?

Mike , I think we all do.

 

[Firestorm]

I googled "Bloor Homes Martin Dawn" and got the attached link to a http://www.tewkesbury.gov.uk/media/word/3/t/Appx_3_-_Revised_SCI_draft_June_05.doc
Tewkesury planning committee document.

There are other firms involved in planning in that neck of the woods, but there is no word of them being investigated

 

[Cricko2]

I googled "Bloor Homes Martin Dawn" and got the attached link to a http://www.tewkesbury.gov.uk/media/word/3/t/Appx_3_-_Revised_SCI_draft_June_05.doc
Tewkesury planning committee document.

There are other firms involved in planning in that neck of the woods, but there is no word of them being investigated

I to have had a hunt around this morning via google.....And it is a huge development area...odd that only a couple of developers are involved with this enquiry.

 

[Firestorm]

Here a bit on John Bloor

Homes maintain Bloor drive




12 (11) John Bloor £350m (£325m)

Bloor Holdings continues to climb the rankings in the UK's top 100 companies from last year's 83rd to 72nd.

The company occupies an unique niche for it is hard to think of another firm filed under "builder and motorcycle manufacturer".

Lovers of Triumph motorbikes should seriously consider buying a Bloor home, as it is only because of John Bloor's largesse that they have any kind of dream machine over which to swoon and polish on a Sunday.

The most recent set of accounts show a major setback in the company's plans to double turnover by the end of 2008. A £665,000 pre-tax loss is disappointing set against the previous year's profit of £4.1 million

 

[Groyne Strain]

To quote today's Echo: -

"Police spent most of the day at Roots Hall, gathering documents connected with Mr. Martin's property business, which he runs from his football club premises."

Which makes the distinction, of course, that this has nothing to do with Ron's football club activities or Southend United FC as a club. At the moment .....

 

[Southend_Lady]

It seems that it was not as bad as first thought. He is obviously connected but it seems to be about his involvement with the development in Tewksbruy or whatever its called! I hope this has all been blown out of proportion!

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

It seems that it was not as bad as first thought. He is obviously connected but it seems to be about his involvement with the development in Tewksbruy or whatever its called! I hope this has all been blown out of proportion!

Yeah , i keep trying to see it that way too .. but 40 coppers... 40 !!!!

i can only see bad news in all this :(

 

[Pubey]

Yeah , i keep trying to see it that way too .. but 40 coppers... 40 !!!!

i can only see bad news in all this :(

jobsworths!! I'm sure Scriv had brought in some Krispy Kremes and so 40 cops volunteered to help out!

 

[loz]

It seems that it was not as bad as first thought. He is obviously connected but it seems to be about his involvement with the development in Tewksbruy or whatever its called! I hope this has all been blown out of proportion!

I think that's relatively clear at this stage (the Guardian article for example implying heavily that the raid was on MD's offices, not ours), but I'm not sure whether that puts SUFC in the clear in terms of fall-out. Picture the scene if you're Ruth Kelly (a minister who's already had to resign once over a scandal involving an individual). You've got a large planning application on your desk, which although rubber-stamped by the local council, is now being led by a guy who is tied up in a large fraud investigation about, wait for it... large planning applications! It would, in my eyes, be a particularly brave politician who wasn't worried by that. Hope I'm wrong, obviously. :confused:

 

[Southend_Lady]

I think that's relatively clear at this stage (the Guardian article for example implying heavily that the raid was on MD's offices, not ours), but I'm not sure whether that puts SUFC in the clear in terms of fall-out. Picture the scene if you're Ruth Kelly (a minister who's already had to resign once over a scandal involving an individual). You've got a large planning application on your desk, which although rubber-stamped by the local council, is now being led by a guy who is tied up in a large fraud investigation about, wait for it... large planning applications! It would, in my eyes, be a particularly brave politician who wasn't worried by that. Hope I'm wrong, obviously. :confused:

Yes but it would be unfair of her to not give it the go ahead "just in case" it is connected with something thats bad news. she would have to look into it I guess. I am sure if Ron has done nothing wrong then there is no reason that the plans will not get the official rubber stamp. I guess we will all find out soon, I just wish people would chill out a bit before they know whats going on. I mean at first look it doesnt look good but for people to already be saying "bye bye new ground" is just ridiculous. Lets just wait until we know exactly whats going on. No news is good news, if we dont hear anything now or in the near future about the new ground then we can still assume it is all going ahead.

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

No news is good news...

Not if you're Captain Oates ...

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I think that's relatively clear at this stage (the Guardian article for example implying heavily that the raid was on MD's offices, not ours), but I'm not sure whether that puts SUFC in the clear in terms of fall-out. Picture the scene if you're Ruth Kelly (a minister who's already had to resign once over a scandal involving an individual). You've got a large planning application on your desk, which although rubber-stamped by the local council, is now being led by a guy who is tied up in a large fraud investigation about, wait for it... large planning applications! It would, in my eyes, be a particularly brave politician who wasn't worried by that. Hope I'm wrong, obviously. :confused:

I'm not a planning specialist, but I certainly don't think those are grounds for calling it in. Whether she could find alternative grounds for calling it in, is another matter. What party did this Sean Conners represent?

 

[Cricko2]

Not if you're Captain Oates ...

Is that where the saying "pic up a Penguin " originated ?

 

[C C Csiders]

I'm not a planning specialist, but I certainly don't think those are grounds for calling it in. Whether she could find alternative grounds for calling it in, is another matter. What party did this Sean Conners represent?

Cllr Connors was an Independent Councillor representing a Residents' Association. This I can't get my head around, as I stated in the other thread, as he would hardly be a big noise. On the other hand with no Party backing, it gives him the position to be as dodgy as he likes without Party HQ on his case.

 

[Firestorm]

From thisisgloucestershire

COUNCILLOR ARRESTED IN CORRUPTION PROBE
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09:00 - 02 March 2007
Brockworth councillor Sean Connors is at the centre of a national fraud inquiry.


His arrest yesterday has led to calls for his resignation from both Gloucestershire County Council and Brockworth Parish Council.

Around 100 police officers were deployed in a series of raids across the country, with Coun Connors the only arrest during the whole operation.

Police swooped on the 46-year-old's home in Hebden Close at 8am and arrested him on suspicion of corruption and money laundering.

As Coun Connors was led away, dozens of officers were raiding offices of Bloor Homes in Tewkesbury.

Forty more descended on the offices of developers Martin Dawn Ltd, based at the home of Southend United Football Club in Essex, while another 40 raided the home of Southend United chairman Ron Martin, in Hadleigh, Essex.

Homes in Measham, Leicestershire, and Little Shrewley, near Warwick, were also searched.

However, no one, apart from Coun Connors, was arrested.

When asked about the police raid on her property, Coun Connors's wife Kathleen said: "I don't know anything about it."

And when asked where her husband was, she said: "He's just popped out for a moment - he'll be back later."

The investigation is believed to relate to planning applications.

Bloor Homes has five housing developments in Gloucestershire, including two in Tewkesbury and one in Brockworth.

It has several in the pipeline, including the controversial Chandos Fields development off Mill Lane, Brockworth.

It has two developments in Leicestershire and two in Warwickshire.

The Tewkesbury office is run by Adrian Bloor.

Martin Dawn PLC is the major shareholder in Southend United FC and owns its headquarters, Roots Hall. Ron Martin is one of its directors. Martin Dawn is one of the developers looking to build 360 homes in Leckhampton Lane, Tewkesbury.

Coun Connors succeeded in getting the number of houses increased to 360 from 300 when he proposed an amendment to the council's local plan in May 2005.

He also spoke in support of Bloor Homes' controversial development at Shannon Way.

In October last year he spoke in favour of the Chandos Fields proposals.

A spokesperson for Bloor Homes said: "We've fully co-operated with the police and will continue to do so.

"No one from the company has been questioned, charged or arrested."

Sean Connors is a Gloucestershire county councillor for Brockworth and a member of Brockworth Parish Council.

He was elected to Tewkesbury Borough Council in 1995 and served on the planning committee until February 1998, when he resigned because he felt Brockworth was being overlooked in favour of other parts of the borough.

He was on the planning committee again from May 2003 until August 2005.

He resigned from Tewkesbury Borough Council last year.

Jim Hunt, chairman of Brockworth Parish Council, said: "It's a bit of a surprise. I was unaware he'd been arrested.

"We've requested him to give in his resignation, but he hasn't done so yet."

Coun Jeremy Hilton, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Gloucestershire County Council, said: "I think he should resign and I think his position is untenable.

"The county council has already reported Mr Connors to the Standards Board, but the police matter is totally separate and I hope the investigation is thoroughly carried out."

A spokeswoman for Tewkesbury Borough Council said: "The council is co-operating with police inquiries."

A spokeswoman for Gloucestershire Police said: "A number of search warrants were executed at addresses in Tewkesbury and Brockworth, Southend in Essex, near Warwick and in Leicestershire.

"The warrants have been executed as part of an ongoing fraud investigation.

"A 46-year-old man from Brockworth has been arrested as part of the investigation.

"He has been arrested on suspicion of corruption and money laundering and he remains in police custody for questioning.

"This morning's operation has involved approximately 100 officers in total, 75 of whom work for Gloucestershire Police."

 

[bluearmy1]

First pic and report from echo - now on the Longpier

Cllr Connors was an Independent Councillor representing a Residents' Association. This I can't get my head around, as I stated in the other thread, as he would hardly be a big noise. On the other hand with no Party backing, it gives him the position to be as dodgy as he likes without Party HQ on his case.

 

[C C Csiders]

First pic of the said councillor and report from echo - now on the Longpier

It's Jeff King after ten months at Weight Watchers'