Conservative councillor Deirdre Morris failed to declare her ownership of land recently earmarked for housing in the controversial Sevenoaks District Draft Local Plan. The site, at Godfrey Otford Road, was secretly purchased for  £950,000  by Cllr Morris property development Company while the land was being considered for housing development by the council. Cllr Morris failed to declare her financial interest in this valuable site at three meetings of the influential Planning Advisory Committee. The oversight was only corrected and her interest declared after being challenged by a Labour Party member.

The whole matter was put  to the District Council but they refused to investigate as the meetings took place over the 30 days prior to the complaint. They could also offer no explanation as to why Cllr Morris declaration of interest in the controversial site was not made public until after the formal complaint was made.