AN outraged Green Party worker saw red when Bolton Council tried to charge him £30 - for photocopying a single A4 sheet of a planning document.

Outraged Graeme McIver has accused Bolton Council of blocking the public's right to information.

And he plans to ask the local government Ombudsman to investigate the charge.

Proposals

The Edgworth man wanted to copy the proposals for the Lee Hall/Daisy Hill housing development in Westhoughton.

He said: "I expected to pay a small amount - but when they said that there was a minimum charge of £30, I flatly refused. Some shops and sub-post offices charge as little as 2p to 5p for a single A4 photocopy.

"I told them I am going to take this matter to the Ombudsman."

He said staff told him the charge would apply for duplicating just one page. He wanted to copy the Bolton Council planning department document for Dr John Whitelegg, the Green Party transport speaker and candidate for the North West in the Euro elections in June.

Mr Whitelegg was speaking yesterday on the transport implications of the proposed development at a residents' meeting.

The meeting was held in the Red Lion pub in Westhoughton as part of the continuing campaign against development of the site.

Mr McIver added: "These charges are not reasonable and the Green Party will investigate ways of forcing Bolton Council to reduce its charges, so that planning applications can be properly scutinised by the public."

A Bolton Council spokesman confirmed that the standard charge for photocopying a planning document is £30, regardless of how many sheets. There is no charge for public scrutiny of documents which are not taken from the town hall.

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