Cheshire Police have confirmed that they will be investigating whether any crimes have been committed in relation to the Council's false air pollution figures.
An external investigation into the Council's air quality monitoring procedures found that serious errors were made "as the result of deliberate and systematic manipulation of data", which may have affected planning decisions in the South of the Borough.
The report also revealed that the Council failed to ensure that adequate processes, procedures and systems were in place to manage this data effectively.
A spokesperson for Cheshire Police said "We can confirm that the matter has been brought to our attention and officers will review it to establish if any criminal offences may have occurred."
Adding "At the current time, until we have until we have established if any criminal offences may have occurred, it is impossible to say how long it will take."
Cheshire East Council monitors nitrogen dioxide levels at approximately 100 sites throughout the borough as part of its ongoing work to improve local air quality.
However, the external investigation found that serious errors were made in the council's air quality data for 2012, 2013 and 2014 which may have impacted on Air Quality Assessments undertaken as part of the process of considering planning applications in Nantwich, Congleton, Crewe, Holmes Chapel and Sandbach.
Sean Hannaby, Director of Planning and Sustainable Development, said: "On behalf of the council I would like to sincerely apologise in respect of these findings, we would like to assure everyone that we have done everything we can to rectify these failings. It is worth reiterating that in July 2016 the then Director of Public Health assured us that there are no immediate health protection measures needed as a result of these errors and I have been assured that this advice still stands.
"We appreciate that it has been a year now since we first reported these concerns, but it was important that we ensured a thorough review and investigation into this important matter.
"Significant work has been undertaken to ensure that there are now robust processes and procedures in place. The planning service is currently analysing the relevant planning applications to assess whether any additional mitigation measures are required. Our council website now contains the correct data and supporting information and our annual status report for both 2016 and 2017 containing the accurate data will be submitted to Defra within the next few weeks.
"Consideration is still being given as to the council's response to the investigation's findings in relation to any HR issues."
Comments
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Any one for starting a petition via change.org ?
http://bit.ly/2vo3bJd
and don't forget:
http://bit.ly/2hng292
Thanks for that.. Disqualified Directors and The redacted meaningless Lyme Green report... how could we forget, like CEC would like us to ! Our new MP must be thrilled in dealing with such incompetence.
As The Donald recently said " I have a great relationship with the Mexican people" ...
... En tus sueños !
Air quality might just be one of other deliberate errors.
Our council is fast acquiring a reputation for planning dodgy-data and grand scale bullying.
And this before we look back to the many other questionable goings on; do not mention
Lyme Green or Corefit.
Not fit for purpose would be a understated reason for clearing the swamp and the newts who inhabit it.
However, who is to blame? You have to say a great deal of blame must fall on voters, who keep returning these crooks and idiots to power.
Obfuscation springs to mind every time we here of the goings on at CEC. The people in authority know what's going but always insist it's not them and they don't know who is responsible for whatever scheme that is about to or has gone pear shaped. Maybe an independent enquiry should be commissioned to look into the way the Lindow Moss report has been carried out by CEC.
Everything CEC is involved in appears to have a dark side, from Lyme Green, Corefit, questionable highways surveys & air pollution data, the joint fiasco with Cheshire West, the Local Plan gerrymandering and more.
It is time the government or the Local Government ombudsman took a very close scrutiny at the goings on at Westfield.
Under the headline "Cheshire Cheats" it says "Cheshire East (CEC), a Tory Council notorious for telling lies and fiddling figures, has been caught at it again". It goes on to detail the falsified air-quality data, draws the conclusion that planning permissions may not have been given for thousands of houses (had the real data been used) and suggests that the "hooky figures" made it easier to pass the Local Plan, as the recordings were recorded as below the level which makes an "Air Quality Management Area" compulsory.
Private Eye also reminds us that in 2013 CEC falsified records and lied to the local Ombudsman, who found CEC guilty of maladministration.