Babergh district councillor Sian Dawson misled Hadleigh town councillors with a string of inaccurate statements at a public meeting, it has been alleged.

The Hadleigh North member was asked at last Thursday's meeting about the allegations that she had made false claims.

Cllr Andrew asked: "John Ward raised a concern with the then chair ex councillor Frank Minns that you have not been honest and you had misled the council and the public in what you said that evening.

"Have you misled us?"

Cllr Dawson agreed she had quoted a number of figures but claimed she knew nothing about the letter sent by Babergh leader John Ward to Frank Minns disputing her claims.

She said: "Maybe you thought I was misleading you, I don't know.

"It was very different figures when John Ward was the finance portfolio holder than now.

"I have not seen the letter so I can't help you."

Cllr Dawson made various claims during her district report in November last year supporting the controversial car parking changes, but Babergh leader Cllr Ward subsequently wrote to the council to correct her figures.

All the correct information can be found in the public domain.

Cllr Dawson told councillors last November: "As you will know there was a deficit of £200,000 but there is now a surplus of £729,000, but that is the bit misleading and we need to be clear about it, because this money has already been allocated in the budget to be spent."

However, the district council's outturn approved by cabinet in August, showed a surplus of £736k, which was transferred to some of its earmarked reserves.

A town councillor asked about money that was going to be raised from car parking charges and some would be spent on Babergh's environmental improvements such as encouraging cycling and walking for example.

Cllr Dawson said: "Cycling and cycle lanes are part of county's budget. It is not down to Babergh."

However, while the provision of cycle lanes is a county responsibility, Babergh does have an Active Travel vision, which is more than just cycle lanes and includes walking.

The district council also has a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) individual LCWIPs will support, advise and enhance county council plans and implementing schemes will need funding from the districts and the county pots.

Hadleigh councillors were also told by Cllr Dawson: "The other thing to bear in mind is I have a budget of £6.7million. Of that £6.7million we have also got, if something goes horribly wrong, we have 10 years of reserves."

However, that is not true. No portfolio holder has control of an individual budget. The £6.7m is the total expenditure for all of Babergh's environmental and climate change services, which also includes those within Cllr Elisabeth Malvisi's portfolio.

During her report Cllr Dawson accused Cllr Andrew Knock of not understanding how finance works and said she would be happy to sit down and explain it.

Cllr Knock responded: "I have had 16 years running my own business so I do understand finance thank, so please don't be disrespectful."

A town councillor pointed out that not everyone is Hadleigh supports three hours free parking but Cllr Dawson denied that saying no one has expressed dissatisfaction.

Following the letter to the former mayor, town councillors were told Cllr Dawson would apologise and correct the figures at the December meeting.

However, she failed to attend that meeting, or the January meeting and when questioned about that claimed she had been told not to attend in order to save time.

During last Thursday's meeting Cllr Dawson claimed: "I have been asked not to attend but I have advised not to say by who. It would not be appropriate or relevant why I did not attend."

It also appears Cllr Dawson was being less than honest about the reason she did not attend the December and January meetings.

She told Nub News: "Due to the time restraints, all district councillors were requested not to attend town council, much to my own disappointment."

However, the town clerk confirmed no such instruction had been given by the town council, and no other Babergh councillors were told they should not attend town council meetings.

New mayor Gordon McLeod agreed last Thursday that the council would write to Cllr Ward to see a copy of the letter and it would be shared.