Lola McEvoy MP criticised after erecting sign without permission
Lola McEvoy opened her new office on Blackwellgate to the public this week, six months after being elected as a Labour MP.
She faced criticism for the delay but insisted the safety and security of office staff was a “top priority”.
A red banner reading ‘Lola McEvoy Member of Parliament for Darlington’ has been attached to the town centre building. However, the MP did not apply for or receive planning permission.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands erecting the sign would require advertisement consent and listed building consent.
Local Conservative councillor Jonathan Dulston said: “It appears that #LazyLola does not follow the process and failed to apply for planning permission for the installation of her new office sign.
“Will the Labour controlled planning committee just rubber stamp this and push it through retrospectively?”
Ms McEvoy admitted the error and said work is underway to apply for the correct permission.
A spokesperson for the MP said: “This was an administrative error and we apologise. The office received permission to replace the previous signage on the building with our own, but were not aware that additional planning consent would be needed.
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“We’re delighted the office is open to the public and are looking forward to inviting constituents in to help them in any way we can.”
Announcing the opening earlier this week, Ms McEvoy said: “The signs are up, so I’m thrilled to say that we’re now able to welcome constituents to our Darlington office on Blackwellgate.
“My team has been working from this office since last year, but we’ve had to hold meetings with constituents in various locations around the town as we waited for security to be installed. As I’m sure you understand, the security of our staff and any visitors is the top priority, so we’re really glad that’s now sorted.”