Debate on a controversial motion which seeks to bolster planning protections around a military training area in Powys was cut short – but will continue at a future meeting.

At a Powys County Council meeting on Thursday, December 4, councillors received a Notice of Motion from Reform UK group leader Cllr Iain McIntosh.

Cllr McIntosh was asking for support to ask planning officers to: “reinstate and publish the Statement of Common Ground (SoCG) within the council’s adopted LDP.”

The SoCG between the council and the Ministry of Defence from 2017 refers to a 10-kilometre planning buffer zone around the Sennybridge training area.

Ahead of the meeting there had been behind the scenes moves by the Council Leader, Cllr Jake Berriman (Liberal Democrat) to stop the motion coming before council.

Cllr McIntosh (Yscir with Honddu Isaf and Llanddew said: “I want to address how this matter has been handled.

“Last week the leader sent an email to councillors urging them to dismiss this motion before it even reached the chamber.

“Whatever our political views we should all agree that council business must be debated openly and fairly, trying to shape the result in advance undermines confidence in this council.”

Plaid Cymru group leader Cllr Elwyn Vaughan (Glantwymyn) said that as a councillor who sits on the Planning committee he wanted “clarification” on what adding the SoCG would do “over and above” the safeguards already provided in the current LDP.

Cllr Berriman (Llandrindod North) came in to answer his question and also explained why he had sought to block the motion coming to the meeting.

Cllr Berriman said: “The whole premise of this motion has no basis in planning law and that’s why I was seeking to have it set aside.

“It is a nonsense and I make my comments as portfolio holder for planning and as someone who spent his entire career in the planning sphere and is probably more expert than anyone else in in this chamber.”

He went on to “defend” the current LDP and explained that “no errors or omissions” were made by planning officers during its production.

Cllr Berriman said: “Policy SP7 which was agreed by the MOD, protects their interest fully and affords them the opportunity to comment on any and all developments such as windfarms that have a potential to harm their operational interest.”

He said that the SoCG’s purpose was to “inform discussion” with the MOD on the current LDP.

It was “no longer needed” after the council and MOD agreed a way forward which was adopted in the LDP.

Due to this the SoCG cannot be reinstated in the LDP as Cllr Berriman stressed it was “never part” of it.

As the debate unfolded several councillors said that they were uneasy about voting on the motion without receiving advice from expert planning officers,

Calls to withdraw the motion were also rejected Cllr McIntosh.

Cabinet member for Highways, Transport and Recycling, Cllr Jackie Charlton (Llangattoch and Llangynidr) said: “This is very confusing, and I suggest we adjourn this motion and get professional advice.

“There is one voice which is missing in the chamber and that’s the military, they are not here to say what they think.”

Cllr Charlton added that councillors had heard that Cllr McIntosh had spoken to the MOD but: “we have not had the benefit of hearing what he has.”

Her suggestion was seconded by joint Powys Independents group leader, Cllr Ange Williams (Knighton and Beguildy) and it was agreed to take this to a vote.

Before the vote took place, Cllr McIntosh said: “I just wanted to confirm it wasn’t a guy down the pub I spoke to, it was John Healey the defence minister you can’t get much higher than that.”

Cllr McIntosh added he was happy to share the letter he had received from Mr Healey MP who is the UK Government’s Secretary of State for Defence.

Councillors then went to a vote, and 43 councillors voted to adjourn the debate and 17 voted against.

This means the motion will return for discussion at a future meeting – possibly at the end of February.