LABOUR are looking to challenge the controversial decision to remove Cheshire West and Chester Council’s long-serving strategic planning committee chairman.

Cllr Myles Hogg (Willaston and Thornton) was sacked from his position after 24 years of service two weeks ago, when he was replaced by Tory colleague Cllr Howard Greenwood at the annual council meeting.

Now Labour are planning to gather petition signatures and carry out a campaign against the changes to the planning committee.

Labour Cllr Carolyn Graham said: “Labour held a shadow executive group meeting on Wednesday morning and this is what was decided. There is going to be a full-scale campaign and a motion put to the council in July, as well as an open letter to (CWaC leader) Cllr Mike Jones in the press.

“At the moment, we don’t have much confidence in the committee.”

Cllr Hogg was chairman at the time when the divisive bid to build the £100m, 2,300-bed student village and Steve Redgrave sports institute on land between Blacon and Mollington. He was the only Tory to go with the planning expert’s advice and turn down the application.

A revised planning application from Bell Developments was submitted one day after Cllr Hogg’s departure.

Last week, Cllr Jones dismissed speculation surrounding the timing of the two events as ‘just that – speculation.’

He added: “Cllr Hogg questions the timing of the student village application as ‘coincidental?’

“Only the applicants will know the reason for their timing and their choice between appeal or resubmission of the application.”