Amber Valley Borough Council

A Conservative Derbyshire councillor said he is "in no way racist" after calling for a ban on the burka and saying there are an "excessive amount" of mosques.

Cllr Henry Thompson, who represents Heanor East on Amber Valley Borough Council, made the comments on a recent Facebook post underneath a national newspaper story about banning the head covering.

He has since been suspended from the party, pending an investigation.

Amber Valley Borough Council

After the post came to light, he told the LDRS that “in no way am I racist" and that his comments were in relation to security concerns.

"None of this was me taking a jab at Islam, because I have nothing against people from different backgrounds wanting to be part of a chosen religion," he added.

He apologised for any offence caused but added he was writing in a personal capacity and stood by what he said.

The borough council's Labour leader has called for him to resign.

All the results are in from Amber Valley and with 24 seats, Labour have taken control of the council from the Conservatives.

Duffield has officially gone green - Dave Wells has snatched the seat off the Conservatives.

The authority now has three parties and an independent. Crikey.

The Tories have lost their grip on Amber Valley - they have held it for all but one year this side of the Millennium.

A school's plan to build an extension to its sixth form block have been rejected.

Ecclesbourne School, in Wirksworth Road, Duffield, had hoped to build the extension to free up more study, teaching, and cafe space - along with five extra parking spaces.

CPMG

The school said that existing space was "inadequate and overcrowded" because of rising pupil numbers which are due to increase from 1,420 to 1,625.

However, Amber Valley Borough Council voted last night to refuse the application, saying the plan would see an unacceptable reduction in recreational space at the school and did not take into account car ownership levels.

Planning officers warned the committee it would be difficult to defend an appeal on highways grounds if the school appealed the decision but the plan was rejected anyway.

Permission to build 200 houses near a former landfill site in Derbyshire was granted last night despite objections from residents.

The chairman of Amber Valley Borough Council's planning committee had the casting vote after six councillors voted for and six were against the development on land off Birchwood Lane in Somercotes, according to the Local Democracy Reporter Service.

PA

Resident Troy Smith said that the proposal presented a "clear and present danger to all living near to the site" and that it was "widely known to be contaminated".

An agent for the applicant said: "Hats off to the residents for wanting to make sure that the application is sufficiently examined and those who even asked Public Health England to look over the proposals."

However, she said the site could be made usable and work would be carried out to ensure this.