A ROW broke out between political groups over the BCP Council Conservative administration's approach to budgeting.

Christchurch Liberal Democrat councillor Mike Cox described the approach being taken by local authority leader Drew Mellor as "absolute nonsense".

Cllr Mellor backed the plans that had been put in place over future years.

The criticism of the budget process was backed by former council leader Vikki Slade who said that Conservative administration’s strategy seemed to be “it’ll be alright on the night” and called for further details about proposals to tackle the predicted shortfall.

Both Cllr Slade and Cllr Cox said they were puzzled about exactly how the council would close the widening budget gap, which the latter claimed had grown from £7.1m for a two year period to a predicted £31.1million.

“It’s a hell of a jump and, frankly, shows a council out of control,” he said.

He said that if any of the council’s assumptions were wrong the authority could find itself in serious difficulties even with a predicted council tax rise of 4.99 per cent for next year.

“You’re acting like Billy Big Balls and it’s absolute nonsense. Let’s ensure that future generations are not left paying for the current deficits,” he said, calling for a halt to all non-budgeted spending until the deficit is addressed.

But Cllr Mellor said he was confident his team would succeed in setting a balanced budget as it had done when delivering the second lowest council tax rise in the country while at the same time increasing investment in the area.

“We are crystal clear in our medium term financial plan…there will be opportunities to invest in schemes and utilise record low borrowing,” he said.

The council leader told Monday’s overview and scrutiny committee that BCP Council was among those with very low borrowing levels, which it could afford to increase, and had reserves which could be used, if needed.

He said the authority remained committed to increasing spending on adult social care and children’s services and to providing more public housing and investment programmes across the area.

Cllr Mellor said the administration already had a track record of delivering its promises – turning a deficit last year into a £5m surplus and had not only re-instated a cut in the climate change budget, but had also doubled it.

Cllr Vikki Slade told him she was seeing a bullish attitude but little detail about how the current £12.5million funding gap, predicted to double by next year, would be tackled.

“I’m getting a real sense of ‘it’ll be alright on the night’,” she said.

“What I want to hear is what is being proposed in the next six months to find that amount of money…I’m really, really concerned that I’m not hearing anything radical about how that gap will be filled.”

A further review of the council’s spending plans is expected in December with next year’s budget to be agreed in February 2022.