Bournemouth's top council officer has apologised following a councillor's claims that his requests for information on plans to create a demonstration farm and education centre at Throop were being ignored.

Outline proposals for Hicks Farm, which would see the transformation of rundown farm buildings into an outdoor learning and interpretation centre and an existing barn renovated and converted into a farm shop, were backed by councillors earlier this year.

But, six months later, ward councillor Ron Whittaker says his repeated pleas for a progress report on the scheme have fallen on deaf ears.

In emailed correspondence to the council's chief executive Pam Donnellan, the borough's longest-serving councillor said he had been "appallingly treated" and his numerous pleas for information about the Hicks Farm plans ignored by officers.

"None of this would happen if I was in the majority group or even a cabinet member," he added.

Cllr Whittaker, who has served on the council for more than 37 years, told the Daily Echo: "Six mon-ths on, it is natural that residents want to know how and when these proposals are progressing."

In response, the chief executive apologised for the lack of response to Cllr Whittaker's requests and stressed that no disrespect had been intended.

She suggested that Cllr Whittaker could meet officers to discuss funding issues surrounding the Hicks Farm scheme.

Cllr Whittaker said he had accepted the chief executive's apology but stressed that he was still "far from happy" about the way the matter had been handled.

He said: "We have to seek funding from outside sources; it will take years to build up the programme which has to be phased. It won't happen overnight.

"We are concentrating too much on the town centre and the question must be asked that if money can be found to demolish the flyover which could cost millions of pounds what about the surrounding areas of Bournemouth, like Throop, which are being neglected?"