A ROW has broken out after Weymouth councillors voted that Sutton Poyntz is to be classed as part of the town in future planning decisions.

The Sutton Poyntz Neighbourhood Plan was effectively torn up when town councillors voted to incorporate the village into a new Neighbourhood Plan being drawn up for Weymouth - the council says this will help secure more Government funding and developer contributions for the entire area.

However, Conservative councillors representing Sutton Poyntz are unhappy about the decision and have accused the area's Lib Dem councillor of making insulting remarks about constituents.

In a Conservative party newsletter delivered to households, Lib Dem cllr David Mannings is quoted as saying "the Sutton Poyntz society are very parochial and don't like mixing with other people."

Cllr Mannings defended the remarks, saying his comments were taken out of context.

He said: "I have nothing against the people of Sutton Poyntz - they want to put themselves first - which is understandable - but it is better for the town of Weymouth if we are all united. It's better to have power in numbers and makes it easier to apply for grants that will support the whole town.

"The word I used - parochial - means they are people who look after their own area, I was acknowledging that they want to do a good thing for their own people. However the vast majority of the council thought the Weymouth plan would be better off with Sutton Poyntz in it, and voted against having a separate plan.

"I've had it in the neck and I shouldn't have because it's political - I've been made a scapegoat."

Cllr Tony Ferrari - who is editor of the local Conservative newsletter - said the decision to throw out the Sutton Poyntz Neighbourhood Plan is "undemocratic".

Cllr Ferrari said: "I was disappointed that a councillor who represents Sutton Poyntz has such a poor view of his constituents and has voted to undo the work that many of them have put in to producing a Neighbourhood Plan.

"I think it's important that Weymouth produces a Neighbourhood Plan to have their say in the future of the town. I also think it is up to councillors to represents their constituents."

Asked why Sutton Poyntz should have a separate plan to Weymouth, cllr Ferrari said: "Because residents voted for it.

"The people of Sutton Poyntz spent three years producing a plan of what they think is right for their community - I think that's democracy at its best and we should support what they've done.

"I will be presenting a case for the residents of Sutton Poyntz to be represented within (Weymouth's) plan."

Cllr Ferrari said the plan covered development, biodiversity, leisure and economic development, "to provide the right outcome for the future of the village."

He added: "Neighbourhood Plans are designed for small areas - the laws never visualised that an area like Sutton Poyntz would end up inside a bigger Neighbourhood Plan so there's no legal precedent - nobody really knows who's got what authority - I don't think this has happened before."

During the Full Council meeting on June 24 cllr Ferrari put forward an amendment for the Sutton Poyntz plan to be retained, but this was outvoted with a minority of ten in favour, 16 against and 1 abstention.

However assurances were given that the Sutton Poyntz plan will respected and its contents included within the new Weymouth Neighbourhood Plan.