A WINCHESTER councillor has questioned the fitness of the city’s sports chief to lead a committee, despite both belonging to the same party.

Conservatives Kim Gottlieb and Lisa Griffiths, neither of whom are up for election next month, have continued a row over the running of the city council’s leisure committee after heated exchanges during a recent meeting.

Cllr Gottlieb tried to raise a point outside of the agreed agenda, which he felt was important for public understanding, but was continually interrupted by chairwoman Cllr Griffiths. Eventually chief executive Laura Taylor intervened before the meeting progressed.

Now Cllr Gottlieb has questioned Cllr Griffiths’ fitness after the row continued in emails seen by the Chronicle.

After asking to see copies of plans for the “£40 million project” to build a new sports centre at Bar End in an email that appears to have been sent in the early hours of April 7, Cllr Griffiths said: “Up early or up late? Experience in building leisure centres?

“Kim from Penguins [swimming club] pointed out to us a recent meeting, which you were unable to attend, that we should listen to our experts. She said they know their stuff and as far as she is concerned, Mike Lawless [LA Architects] knows his stuff.That aside, it is not for us to mull and decide if the court or pool spec [sic] is right.”

Cllr Gottlieb responded: “Your email does nothing but call into question your fitness to be chairman of this committee.

“Stupid sarcastic comments aside, I have simply asked for plans so that I can reflect on them before they go forward for discussion at committee or wherever else. This means that when we meet the ‘experts’ we are prepared in our own thinking and then make the best use of the time available with them.

“In the process undertaken these last several months, which had been unlike any other process I’ve experienced in the development world, it seems that you have fundamentally failed to understand the responsibility we have for the expenditure of public money. That responsibility demands that we all ensure that we all know as much as we possibly can know about all aspects of the project.

“Your position as chairman does not entitle you to constantly deprive the rest of us of what is essentially public information.”

Cllr Gottlieb added: “You have no valid reason for instructing officers not to respond to requests for information and I would like to receive the layouts presented at the recent public meeting, tomorrow.”

The row relates to plans to build a multi-million pound leisure centre at Bar End, as well as surrounding facilities, to replace the outdated River Park Leisure.

It will include an eight-court sports hall, a 50m swimming pool that can be separated into two smaller pools, a learner pool and a water play area.

The new centre will also have a ‘clip and climb’ facility, four squash courts, a hydrotherapy suite and eight treatment rooms, two large studios, a spin studio and 200-station gym.

A number of councillors and campaigners have slammed the decision to build an eight-court sports hall, rather than a 12-court hall.

The scheme will go before the city council’s overview and scrutiny committee in mid May, before a planning application is submitted in May/June. The design framework will then go before cabinet for approval on June 6. Cllr Griffiths has been approached for comment.