The fate of a councillor who allegedly failed to declare an interest in a planning application is expected to be decided at a meeting tonight (Thursday).

Councillor Jan Mason, Mayor of Epsom and Ewell, is being investigated after a complaint made by a member of the public and her case is set to be reviewed at tonight’s standards committee meeting, which is likely to be held in secret.

An assessment sub-committee decided to refer the matter to the monitoring officer for investigation and the standards committee is due to review his report. The sub-committee said it considered it was “in the interests of good governance to investigate the matter further”.

According to the complaint, Coun Mason, chairwoman of Epsom and Ewell Council’s planning committee “failed to disclose interest” in a planning application on her street, Amis Avenue, in West Ewell.

The complaint says there is no record of Coun Mason declaring an interest in the application to build two, two-bedroom semi-detached houses with one parking space each, at a meeting in June last year, although she did declare it at a subsequent meeting in November.

The complaint also said she “used or attempted to use her position improperly to confer or secure for herself or any other person an advantage or disadvantage” and that her actions “compromised the impartiality of the planning committee and brought her office or authority into disrepute.”

Coun Mason did not return the Epsom Guardian’s calls.