A LIB Dem councillor says that having voted twice in favour of Sainsbury’s being allowed to build a superstore at Whittlesey it would be “unethical” of him to vote again.

Councillor Dave Patrick said tonight: “It seems to me the council is going to keep on voting on this matter until someone gets the answer they want.”

He said: “It would be unethical of me to sit on any planning committee on the issue of supermarkets for Whittlesey. I have been asked, and voted, twice and therefore have made my decision.

“I don’t think we should be determining this application again.”

Cllr Patrick spoke out after it was revealed officers are trying to annul all previous decisions and go through a fresh application process in January with a recommendation to approve Tesco and refuse Sainsbury’s.

“I haven’t got the documents for this meeting yet but I know the recommendation,” said Cllr Patrick. “My view is that I thought localism is to do with allowing people input”.

His comments came as Councillor Mark Archer, and also a planning committee member, said he had “made it very clear what my views are on this shambles and Cllr Melton’s subsequent handling of the situation.”

He said: “My call for Cllr Melton to take responsibility and resign still stands as does my view that it would not be possible for Fenland’s planning committee to determine the supermarket applications with any credibility.”

Cllr Melton insisted he remained totally hands off in respect of the supermarket issues at Whittlesey.

He said he had recently called planning committee members together to address “planning training, appointments and future procedures. The meeting did not discuss any issue on the agenda of the day or indeed past agenda items”.