HOW THE CALL-IN PROCEDURE WORKS

Cllr Paul Wotherspoon, Arun District Council's member for the environment, has scrapped the annual 10,000 handout to Hotham Park Heritage Trust.

His decision was due to come into effect at 10am today. But it has been formally challenged in a rare move by other councillors.

Cllr Paul Wells has decided to 'call in' Tory Cllr Wotherspoon's decision. This means it will be examined by the council's all-party performance scrutiny committee. Its members can either back Cllr Wotherspoon or tell him to reconsider the matter.

Cllr Wells said: "The decision by Cllr Wotherspoon does seem to be a rather harsh one to cut all of the grant to the heritage trust.

"The trust has helped towards the restoration of the park over the past ten years. They have put in a lot of voluntary effort and enthusiasm to bring that work to fruition.

"I could understand, in the current economic climate, the grant being reviewed and, perhaps, a smaller amount of money handed over. But to cut the grant completely is a radical move on the council's part."

Cllr Wells (Hotham) said he was not consulted as a local councillor for the park before the decision to remove the funding was made.

His 'call in' has been backed by three other Liberal Democrat members of Arun '“ Cllr Jeanette Warr (Hotham), Cllr Francis Oppler (Orchard) and Cllr Simon McDougall (Pevensey) as well as Independent Cllr Jim Brooks (Marine).

A statement issued with Cllr Wotherspoon's decision said: "From 1999 to 2008, Hotham Park Heritage Trust have received a grant from the parks and greenspace budget of 10,000 a year as core funding.

"This report concludes that funding to this extent is inappropriate now that the restoration of Hotham Park is complete."

But the report on which the decision was based has been kept private by the council because it deals with a financial matter between the council and another organisation.

The heritage trust worked with Arun to secure 2.2m of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to remove the former Rainbow's End theme park in the park and open up the entire site as grassland.

This work was completed last autumn and will be celebrated with a family fun day in the park on the May 4 bank holiday.

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