COUNCILLORS were advised to approve the allocation of extra funds to The Splash or risk putting another project into jeopardy.

A £310,000 over-spend on work at the leisure centre had left a shortfall in the the district council's sports provision budget, throwing a project to develop the sports hall at Dyson Perrins High School into question.

But at a meeting on Tuesday, Coun Clive Smith explained that if the council agreed to pay for The Splash out of capital reserves instead, sports provision funds would be freed up for Dyson Perrins. MHDC has already pledged £334,000 to the £800,000 project to improve the sports hall and gym and create a fitness suite for school and community use.

Some felt Coun Smith's advice amounted to emotional blackmail.

Speaking after the meeting, Dyson Perrins ward member Serena Croad said she had been unaware the Splash overspend could put the Dyson's project in jeopardy.

"It shouldn't have been affected in the first place by the Splash overspend. If this was the case, they should have been open enough to tell us," she said. "I almost felt Coun Smith was trying to emotionally blackmail the council into voting for it."

Twenty-two councillors voted to allocate the extra funds, with eight against and one abstention.

The original budget for the work was £1.5 million, a third of which was paid by the leisure centre's management company SLM. But more work and extra equipment was necessary and the council was asked for the money.