THE chief executive of Bolton Council has admitted that the controversial £300,000 grant awarded to law firm Asons should “probably” not have been made under emergency powers.

Bolton Council was forced to defend the awarding of the grant in front of opposition councillors and members of the public in a heated “extraordinary” meeting last night.

Police were called after some people were refused entry due to fire regulations - but the crowd dispersed soon after.

The corporate and external issues scrutiny meeting was held at at the Pavilion Building in Queens Park to answer questions about the controversial decision and other matters.

A small protest was held outside as councillors and members of the public arrived. During the meeting there was banging on windows as the meeting got under way.

Natalie Yates, one of the protesters, said: “We want proper answers to why this money was given under emergency powers. There is anger at the decision. We have a petition demanding council leader Cliff Morris’s resignation.

“As a tax payer I am disgusted at the decision when there are cuts to children’s services and am also disgusted that a grant of £300,000 is being discussed in a café.”

The anger of the audience was voiced throughout the meeting with shouts calling for Cllr Morris to go and questions to why emergency powers were used.

Council Chief Executive, Margaret Asquith, explained that emergency powers were used to give confidence to Asons that it was supporting them – although the grant was not guaranteed unless it met State Aid criteria. She said Asons, based in Churchgate, had carried out work on the building at its own risk knowing that the money may not be forthcoming.

She told the meeting: “It is absolutely the case that this is not unusual for Bolton or for other local authorities that grants are given to support businesses and it will continue to be so.

“If we do not encourage businesses and maintain businesses in Bolton we will not have the income to continue to run services for some very vulnerable people. It is absolutely the case that emergency powers will be used in the future and they are set out in this council’s constitution for very specific purposes.

“With a lot of hindsight this probably would have been better if officers had taken this to the next executive member meeting rather than emergency powers.”

Bolton Council accused of running 'dictatorship' after secretly approving £300,000 grant to town centre law firm Asons

David Greenhalgh, leader of the Tory Party, said: “What I am appalled about is the decision to award £300,000 of public money through a meeting of directors and directors of a company.”

He questioned whether there was a relationship between the Labour Party and Asons, to which Cllr Morris said there was not as far as he knew.

Cllr Roger Hayes questioned the morality of the decision to award a grant when the company is in competition with other local businesses.

Cllr Paul Richardson said that Churchgate did not come under the Town Centre First strategy. The area was described as a key link in the meeting.