Committee rows over funding plan

An argument erupted at a council meeting when Ashfield Lib Dem leader Jason Zadrozny demanded to know where £55,000 of allocated funds had been spent.

The spat broke out as members of the Sutton Area Committee voted on whether to accept the Sutton Locality Plan.

Coun Zadrozny told the meeting he had not been present at a meeting of all four Sutton wards during which councillors agreed the spending priorities for the wards - based on feedback from a public consultation.

Mr Zadrozny, County Councillor for Sutton North, told the meeting: “Money has been allocated in my ward but it is not in the plan.

“What is strange is that council officers do not know where £55,000 has been allocated.”

Speaking after the meeting, Jim Aspinall, Sutton Central councillor, said: “Councillor Zadrozny was invited to the meeting but did not turn up.

“So all the other ward councillors had already agreed the plan for their wards.

“That £55,000 was re-allocated to improvements on Brierley Forest some time ago.

“Not turning up to meetings and then claiming it is a Labour Party stitch-up is just not on.”

The Sutton Locality Plan was approved by six votes to five.

An initial 5-5 deadlock was broken when chairman Christina Maxwell voted in favour.