Gosport councillors slam key agenda item presented just one minute before meeting starts

An agenda item was placed in front of councillors proposing to create a climate change board and housing board, separate from the community board which currently handles these matters.

But despite this being agreed in advance at a previous meeting, councillors were only informed of it being on the agenda moments before the meeting began.

Liberal Democrat councillors reacted with outrage at the tardiness of the proposal, while Conservatives argued it had been agreed ahead of time.

Lib Dem Councillor Steve Hammond said: ‘We had only one minute’s notice before the start of the meeting, when this was put forward.

‘I feel we’re being bullied into this and it’s not fair.

‘Perhaps we could have postponed this meeting for a week instead.’

Fellow Liberal Democrat, Cllr Siobhan Mitchell, also protested the proposal.

Five minutes were given halfway through the meeting for councillors to analyse the paperwork.

But the item had been agreed in principle at a prior policy and organisation board meeting.

According to the meeting’s chairman, Cllr Graham Burgess, council officers had only prepared the item the morning of the meeting.

Cllr Lynn Hook said: ‘This is what the policy and organisation board decided.

‘We agreed that it would come to this meeting to be discussed.’

Cllr Burgess added: ‘The item is to set up a climate change board and a housing board.’

The motion, following a lengthy and heated debate between councillors, was voted through unanimously.