BEMBRIDGE Parish Councillors have refused an independent investigation into the controversial sale of 5/7 High Street.

Cllr Alasdair Steane tabled a motion at the parish council meeting last night (Tuesday) to launch an independent investigation into all aspects of the maintenance and sale of 5/7 High Street.

The property has been taken off the market following a bungled sale process that saw the council tied up in a judicial review that cost the parish more than £30,000.

The judicial review was launched by local business owner, Peter Burke, who had submitted the highest cash offer for the building, but had his offer rejected.

Relaunching the sale, a closed bid was held and Mr Burke’s bid was accepted as highest, but then the council called another meeting as Nick Challen, the competing bidder, increased his offer.

Speaking at the parish council meeting last night, Cllr Steane said: "We need to understand how we got to where we are at and how we can learn from our mistakes where we went badly wrong."

Parish clerk Jacqui McDade told the meeting that the council had incurred costs of £31,617 as a result of the judicial review alone.

£14,273 of this was paying Mr Burke's legal fees.

The clerk said that the advice from the Hampshire Association of Local Councils was that since there was still a section of the council that wanted to sell 5/7 High Street, an independent investigation now could interfere with that process.

Cllr Steane, Cllr Liz White and Cllr Nigel Maclean voted in favour of the independent investigation. The rest of the council voted against it.

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