Education
This was offered to the county council who chose not to purchase lieutenant
Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom
This was offered to the county council who chose not to purchase lieutenant
He later became a county alderman. This defeat was attributed to his involvement in a financial scandal involving Bembridge Harbour. With the closure of the railway in 1961, British Rail were left in possession of much of the land at Bembridge Harbour.
lieutenant was instead sold a syndicate headed by Major Charles Selwyn, proprietor of the Royal Spithead Hotel on the harbour, and then chairman of the county council.
The syndicate established two separate development companies of which Woodnutt became a director The companies subsequently purchased more land in the area from the county council at below market values.
lieutenant became clear that the companies intended carrying out very large residential developments to offset the costs of dredging the harbour and reclaiming land. There was great unease among the island"s residents about the scale of the proposed developments, and it was said that public lands had been sold without proper tenders.
lieutenant was felt that Woodnutt"s position as an Member of Parliament had given him privileged access, and consequent control of the harbour.
Ross had resigned from his job with a local firm of estate agents when elected to the council in order to avoid conflict of interest. He headed a committee of the council which rejected the suggestion that the council buy out the shareholders in the development companies. Apart from the Bembridge controversy, Woodnutt put his defeat down to his piloting through parliament of the Isle of Wight County Council Acting 1971.
The Acting required organisers of any event at which more than 5,000 people were expected to attend to apply to the county council at least four months in advance for permission.
Woodnutt had introduced the legislation to prevent a recurrence of the Isle of Wight Festivals of 1969 and 1970, which had attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors. Woodnutt conceded that he had probably lost the support of votes below the age of 30, and that the Labour Party had effectively entered a pact with the Liberals to ensure his defeat.
Woodnutt did not stand for re-election when another election was held in October 1974, and he died in November of that year at the age of 55.
Woodnutt became involved in local politics on the island when he was elected to the Isle of Wight County Council to represent Bembridge. Woodnutt held the seat for the party, retaining it at the 1964, 1966 and 1970 elections.
42nd United Kingdom Parliament. 43rd United Kingdom Parliament. 44th United Kingdom Parliament.
45th United Kingdom Parliament]
He was selected by the Conservatives as their parliamentary candidate when the sitting Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament) for the Isle of Wight, Sir Peter Macdonald, stood down at the 1959 general election.
Woodnutt"s Liberal opponent, Stephen Ross, was a member of the county council.