BOLTON Council will hold an ‘extraordinary’ committee meeting in January where questions will be asked about the controversial decision to award law firm Asons a grant of £300,000.

The additional meeting of the authority’s Corporate and External Scrutiny will take place on January 11, although council chiefs insist it has not been called specifically to deal with questions surrounding the Asons grant and will also look at other key issues including the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework and the town hall renovation work.

The council maintains that the meeting is not being held because Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Roger Hayes made a formal request for such a special meeting to be held to deal specifically with what he believes are unanswered questions regarding the £300,000 grant.

A council spokesman said: “There are several reasons why an additional scrutiny committee has been arranged.

“The next scheduled meeting of this committee is to be held on February 15 and will be a single item agenda to consider the council’s budget for 2017-19.”

He said the town hall and spatial framework would also be discussed and added: “On December 18 Cllr Hayes requested the chair of the committee to consider an additional scrutiny meeting to scrutinise the council’s grant to Asons.

“Although he is not able to do this himself as he is not a committee member and this item has already been to this committee on November 21, this item has been included on the agenda for the additional meeting.”

However, the Bolton Liberal Democrat group claim credit for the decision.

An online message from the group stated: “Following a battle by Lib Dem leader Cllr Roger Hayes, Bolton Labour led Council have today promised to hold an emergency meeting of the Corporate and External Affairs Scrutiny Committee to discuss the decision to grant Asons £300,000 via emergency powers.”

The meeting will be held on January 11 at the Queens Park Community Room from 5.30pm.