Mr Winter denies any wrongdoing and says he has nothing to hide

The Local Government Ombudsman has been sent a complaint about the application which was approved last month.

The council also launched an inquiry after a Hatfield councillor complained to council managing director Susan Law that the mayor was personally involved.

Martin Winter denied any wrongdoing and said he had nothing to hide.

Approval for the planning application centred on whether the piece of land involved was a field or had been used as a domestic garden.

'Never intervened'

Mr Winter is accused of being influential in overturning a planning rejection by saying the land had been used as a garden and could therefore be built on.

Local government guidelines state a mayor is not allowed to get personally involved in planning applications.

But Mr Winter said he "totally rejected" the allegations which he described as "part of a politically orchestrated witch hunt with the aim of destroying me, my family and the position of Mayor in Doncaster".

"I never have intervened, not will I intervene in a specific planning application," he said.

"I have fully assisted, and will continue to fully assist, these inquiries. I have nothing to hide."