Row erupts at Gosport Borough Council over Liberal Democrat leaflet claiming millions in council cuts

A political row has erupted over claims that millions of pounds have been cut from council services and regeneration projects.

Gosport Borough Council leader Cllr Zoe Huggins has challenged figures published in a Liberal Democrat leaflet which accuses the Conservative administration of making £6m in “regeneration cuts” and planning £2.4m in “service cuts”.

The claims were raised during a full council meeting on October 14, when Conservative Cllr Dan Hayes asked the leader to “clarify, factually” the position.

The leaflet, distributed across Gosport, described £6m of regeneration cuts and £2.4m of planned service cuts, as well as saying high street markets have been scrapped and the community grants board cut.

But Cllr Huggins told councillors no decision had been made over the waterfront park regeneration and said the £6m remained ring-fenced.

She said: “The council and I are not familiar with the £2.4m services that have been cut.”

Cllr Huggins said the authority instead had a £3.3m structural deficit “left by the previous administration” and was seeking a £1.5m efficiency for the next financial year and the year after.

She added: “We have not removed grants, and we have not scrapped markets.”

The council was instead recruiting an in-house staff member in relation to the markets, she said.

The Liberal Democrats have defended the leaflet, saying the £6m figure reflects money being held up in a “freeze” to the waterfront regeneration programme.

The party also pointed to plans by the new administration to “save” £3.3m, which it said would “inevitably lead to significant service cuts”.

It said the previous Liberal Democrat administration had set a balanced 2026/27 budget which found £1m in savings while allowing for a 2.99 per cent council tax increase.

However, its response did not explain how the £2.4m figure printed on the leaflet was calculated.

When asked how that figure was reached and why £6m was described as a cut, the Liberal Democrats said that they “have nothing further to comment on this matter.”

The party maintains the previous level of frontline services could have been retained under its budget without the changes pursued since May.