A local councillor who won his seat at Kings Lynn & West Norfolk Council due to his anti- wind turbine stance mysteriously disappeared to Spain after getting planning restrictions on his house removed and selling it.
According to the Wisbech Standard Cllr Markinson had previously been refused permission to lift the agricultural occupancy restriction but after he was elected in October 2007 he tried again with more success.
A property without an agricultural occupancy condition is worth significantly more than one with as it can be sold to anyone rather than just farmers. Soon after the restriction was lifted Cllr Markinson sold the property for double the agricultural property value. The Standard estimates that Markinson made £250k from the move.
Councillor David Markinson was tracked down by the Wisbech Standard and told the paper:
“I was elected by the people of Marshland and Walsoken to oppose the building of a large scale wind farm development in Marshland Fen…. In doing so my single election promise has been fulfilled and accordingly I have decided to resign from my seat and return to work on the board of my family’s European property business which is based in Madrid.”
