RESIDENTS in Broxtowe may feel disappointed at the way some decisions are being made by their local council.

Broxtowe Borough Council has come in for criticism after investing £100,000 in Nottingham's tram extension.

If the tram scheme is not approved the money could be lost, it is claimed.

The funds were a contribution from a developer towards transport improvements in the borough. They had to be spent within five years.

The criticism of the council stems from the fact that it had sat on the money since 2004, right up to the deadline.

While it had always planned to spend the money on the tram it had envisaged the project would off the ground by now.

With time running out the chief executive of the council, and the Liberal Democrat leader Coun Michael Rich, had to use emergency powers to authorise the payment.

Councillors have complained they were not given the opportunity to consider alternative projects on which to spend the money.

With better management, the council could have canvassed opinion on how to make best use of the money at this time.

The authority may still have decided to invest it in the tram but the decision-making process could have been better.

The leader of Broxtowe Borough Council, Liberal Democrat Michael Rich, has admitted the deadline "crept" up on them. This suggests procedures at the council may need to be reviewed.

This row comes as the council prepares to finalise its budget.

Here, too, Broxtowe has been accused of failing to allow adequate consultation.

Details of the borough's plans, including cuts in funding for the DH Lawrence centre at Durban House, only emerged in the weeks before budget meeting itself.