LOCAL councillors have asked for an investigation to be launched into claims of misinformation being presented before Gosport Borough were handed an extended lease to their Privett Park home.
Gosport’s Liberal Democrats have asked Portsmouth City Council, who manage Gosport council affairs, to review the agreement with the National League South side.
Borough, whose chairman Mark Hook is a Conservative councillor and leader of the borough council, were handed a 30-year extension to their lease at Privett Park at a policy and organisation meeting in September.
It is claimed that councillor Peter Chegwyn asked whether the club, who have been struggling financially for the past two seasons, were up to date with their rent payments.
Then-treasurer Julian Bowcher said the club, 15th in the National League South, owed no money but a Freedom of Information request from local paper The News revealed Gosport were behind on their rent.
Struggling Borough have been hit with three winding-up petitions from HM Revenue & Customs in the past six months and recently said they are close to a takeover, with former player Danny Thompson expressing his interest.
Councillor Chegwyn, leader of the Liberal Democrats in Gosport, has requested a full investigation into the decision to hand Gosport an extended lease, with further FOI requests showing the club owed £1,355 in rent on November 21.
He told The News: “We were given wrong information. No council tenant or taxpayer would be able to get away with it.
“If I’d have known the club were behind on their rent, I would not have voted to extend their lease. I want the football club to do well but the taxpayer and the supporters have a right to know where all the money went.”
Michael Lawther, Gosport council’s deputy chief executive Michael Lawther added; “Cllr Chegwyn has raised a number of matters, which I’ll look into. I’ll respond to him with the result of my enquiries as soon as possible.”
