COLCHESTER MP Bob Russell is unrepentant after Conservative councillors demanded an apology for “smearing” them.

The Lib Dem MP has written to Colchester Council chief executive Adrian Pritchard to demand an investigation into why Conservative councillors had not declared an interest before voting on a planning application for the Jumbo water tower.

Owner George Braithwaite last year gave donations to the Parliamentary campaigns of Harwich & North Essex MP Bernard Jenkin and Will Quince, parliamentary candidate for Colchester in the 2010 General Election.

At a planning committee meeting this month, the five Tory councillors voted to support a recommendation by officers to allow Mr Braithwaite to convert the Grade II* listed building into flats, a restaurant and offices.

But the five Lib Dem, one Labour and one independent councillor all blocked the bid, meaning it will not go ahead.

Peter Chillingworth, one of the committee members and the group’s planning spokesman, said he was insulted and angry at the claims.

He said: “He is unfortunately dragging planning into what he would say is the political arena.

“In so doing, he is smearing us.

“Whatever he says, the implication is that we’re corrupt and that really is something we can’t abide. We feel he ought to apologise.”

He continued: “We took a decision based on the officers’ recommendation and our opinion of the application.

“We didnt know that any money had changed hands between the applicant and the Parliamentary candidates 18 months ago.”

Mr Chillingworth added neither he or his colleagues had been influenced by a banner saying “Vote Conservative”, which Mr Braithwaite allowed to be hung from the top of Jumbo in the run-up to last year’s vote.

He said: “The planning commitee is a quasi-judicial body, and therefore we try and be straight down the line with it.”

Conservative group leader Kevin Bentley said he had spoken to Mr Pritchard yesterday and was told there was no case for the group to answer.

Mr Russell said he had no reason to apologise: “Declarations are a regular feature on a whole host of seemingly innocent matters, for example membership of a club or of another public body whose interests were under discussion.

“I would count the receipt of a donation to a political party from a developer with a live planning application to be an obvious one for all councillors in that party declaring an interest.”

He added: “I do not feel I have anything to apologise for. I have simply drawn to public attention the fact that the owner of a Listed Building with a planning application before Colchester Council made a £2,000 donation to a political party represented by councillors who would be voting in due course on his application.

“They are the facts. Pure and simple.”