Councillors fall out over budget priorities

Torbay councillors deciding how to manage a £335 million budget

- by GUY HENDERSON

TORBAY councillors deciding how to manage a £335 million budget fell out over spending £50,000 to clean street signs and wash pavements during a fractious meeting that had to be paused several times so they could calm down.

After one particularly bad-tempered exchange over hot-washing a pavement Councillor Alan Tyerman, the cabinet member for finance, urged colleagues to stop "micromanaging" and concentrate on the bigger picture.

Conservative mayor Barbara Lewis had to step in a number of times to call for calm as Conservative and opposition councillors sparred over the details of the budget.

Cllr Tyerman told them to focus on finances which presented major problems in coming years as government financial support for the bay was cut even further.