A COUNCIL will change its planning policy following a six month investigation into claims a veteran Tory councillor harassed two restaurant owners.

An indepedent investigator led a review committee hearing at the Castle Point Council offices, in Kiln Road, Thundersley, following reports Bill Sharp threatened Mehmet Ali Deniz and entered this business without permission.

Mr Deniz is currently renovating a former car showroom in London Road, Hadleigh. He claimed he and business partner were “bullied and harassed” by Mr Sharp after he found they were carrying out work using out-of-date planning permission, which was granted in March 2010.

Mr Sharp, a councillor for St James’ ward, allegedly “threatened to revoke any permission or licences the property might have or need.”

The committee failed to reach an overall verdict over whether his actions broke the council’s code of conduct.

On the recommendation of investigator Alex Oram, they agreed to redraft the council’s planning policy. It is likely to specify that members of the planning committee - such as Mr Sharp - should not visit developers to advise them on planning matters.

Speaking after the hearing David Hook, Mr Sharp’s solicitor, lamented “the cost to the taxpayer” of the six month probe.

Mr Hook added that Mr Sharp, who faces no further sanction, had informed planning officers of an alleged planning permission breach before his visit to the restaurant.

The Echo asked Castle Point Council to confirm the cost of the investigation but did not receive a response before going to print.

Speaking at the hearing, Grace Watson, a Canvey Independent Party councillor for the island’s North ward, said she believed Mr Sharp had broken planning guidelines by entering the restaurant to speak with Mr Unlu over the issue. There was a subsequent exchange of text messages between Mr Sharp and Mr Deniz.

She said: “I accept the report in its entirety, I think Bill got caught out by the two men really.

“As he is an experienced planner, and with the benefit of hindsight, he should not have turned up unannounced at the restaurant. It should have been left with the council officers.

Barry Woolf, an independent person appointed by the council to review proceedings, concurred with Mrs Watson.

He said: “I have concerns that it displayed a lack of judgement as Mr Sharp allowed himself to be drawn into a dispute with the businessmen.”

Simon Hart and Godfrey Isaacs, Tory councillors for Victoria and St James’ wards, refuted the report’s findings.

Mr Isaacs questioned the credibility of evidence given by Mr Unlu, which was partially given by Mr Deniz translating from Turkish into English.

He said: “I have been to residents’ meetings in Turkey where the Turkish comments made lasted for ten seconds, and then the interpreter speaks for substantially more.”

Mr Oram, who conducted the interviews, said he only learned of Mr Unlu’s wish to speak through Mr Deniz as he arrived for the hearing on Tuesday evening.