Gosport Borough Council leader Peter Chegwyn accused of 'putting money in the pocket of Lib Dems' during row over councillor allowances

Councillor Peter Chegwyn, leader of Gosport Borough Council was met with criticism on Wednesday after changing remuneration proposals minutes before the meeting took place.

The amendments sought to provide pay raises to chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of various boards and committees.

The amendment stated that the reduction of councillors and service boards will provide savings of up to £32,000 on special responsibility allowances.

Speaking to full council, Cllr Chegwyn said: ‘We will be cutting the amount of money overall that this council spends on councillor allowances and I think taxpayers will welcome that.

‘We wish to put the money, about £30,000, back into public services rather than into councillors' back pockets.

‘Nobody becomes a councillor to get rich - the time that some of us spend is enormous, I'm in the town hall every day.

‘We believe it’s right to give the vice chairs a small allowance to compensate for the work they’re doing but it’s only half of the chair savings that we’ve made.’

Opposition leader, Cllr Graham Burgess responded: ‘I have never heard so much waffle from a leader of a council.

‘In the budget book of February this year there was a saving of over £40,000 and the treasurer can verify that.

‘You’re now saying we’re saving £30,000 so £10,000 has gone to us.

‘Let’s look back to 2004 when the Tories stopped the vice chair allowance to save pennies - you’ve brought that back.

‘I cannot believe that you’re trying to pull one over the general public by saying you’re saving £30,000 when in the budget it was over £40,000.’

Conservative Cllr Philip Raffaelli added: ‘I’m just so angry, I think it’s entirely inappropriate for a new administration which claims honesty, openness and transparency. Yet again we're getting reports at the very last minute.

‘We cannot continue to operate where members are denied paperwork until the very last minute - it’s just terrible.

‘This is about putting money into the pockets of selected members of the Liberal Democrats - it’s just not honest. I am frankly disgusted.’