Gravel firm boss says past members of Ashton Keynes Parish council have destroyed relationship between his firm and the council

Moreton Cullimore, of the Cullimore Group, which is based at Dairy Farm near Ashton Keynes, claims the council has repeatedly ignored his invitations for a visit.

Mr Cullimore says he sent out the invitations when he submitted planning applications so he could show the council what he believes will be the benefits of plans before deciding to object or back applications.

He says the last straw was when the parish council objected to an application for waste recycling at the plant in 2012 having failed to respond to his phone calls and e-mails inviting members to visit.

He said: “We have lost the permission because of their objections and after losing that permission I have lost three jobs.

“Now all of a sudden to show a bit of face they want to go on a site visit. It would be a waste of time to have the meeting now, as there is no current application.

“I have offered time and time again for them to come to site and sees what happens on site and time and time again nobody has taken me up on that offer.

“I have no problems in the future to build that relationship but I have got nowhere in the last few years. The last people that were sitting on the Minerals Liaison committee (a committee which is responsible for communicating with Cullimore) were impossible to get help from."

Mr Cullimore’s criticisms came to light after Barry Ellison, a parish councillor and friend of the gravel firm boss, read out an e-mail from Mr Cullimore to councillors at an Ashton KeynesParish Council meeting.

New members of the council include Cllr Ernie Tidmarsh as chairman of the minerals liaisons committee, which is responsible for communicating with the Cullimore Group.

Cllr Tidmarsh said: “There is a lack of communication or lack of willpower to do things. Our chairman (Dave Wingrove) and Barry Ellison are going to meet with Mr Cullimore to see if we can work out a way forward.”