Why is council holding beach huts meeting while investigation is ongoing?

An extraordinary full council meeting will take place on Tuesday, and recommends a number of amendments to the agreement with Plum Pictures to build 12 beach huts.

But members have criticised the timing of the meeting due to the ongoing scrutiny investigation, with some councillors also unable to attend due to pre-booked holidays.

Some members of the scrutiny committee have not decided if they will participate in the meeting, mindful of issues of pre-determination.

Chairman of scrutiny, Cllr Colin Jamieson said: “Whether members take part or not is up to them.

“All I can say is the scrutiny committee continues to look at this and will come to a balanced view.”

Deputy chairman, Lesley Dedman said she was still considering her position, as was Cllr Nick Geary, Cllr David Jones, Cllr Denise Jones and Cllr Colin Bungey.

In the report published ahead of the extraordinary meeting, the council said pulling out of the deal would “set a precedent that the council is susceptible to public pressure”.

Cllr David Jones said: “I find this a particularly objectionable comment.

“Unfortunately there seems to be an impression that the public are responsible to the council.

“The council is responsible to the public; we are their servants, not their masters.”

In a letter to all members, former councillor Gillian Geary, slammed the project for its “secrecy and misinformation”, saying: “The councillors are there to listen to public concerns and act on them; this statement makes a mockery of democracy within the council.”

She adds: “This report shows just how little value the council puts on the views of the residents.”

A council spokesperson said members of the scrutiny committee can take a full role in debates.

“The scope of the scrutiny review is to consider the process which was undertaken from the inception of the project to the present time. It is not to determine if the council should or should not proceed with an amended project”, they added.