A row has broken out as the leader of Gosport Borough Council accused the town’s MP of ‘trying to score cheap political points’ – disagreeing over who’s to blame for the Alverstoke sea defences not being finished.

In a newspaper column, Gosport’s Conservative MP Caroline Dinenage said work was cancelled by Gosport Borough Council and it is its responsibility to sort. 

Leader of the Liberal Democrat-run council Councillor Peter Chegwgn said the work is suspended and the responsibility lies with the previous Conservative council, the government and the Environment Agency.

Councillor Chegwyn (Lib Dem, Forton) said he wanted to set the record straight in a meeting on May 15, after claiming Ms Dinenage made a false statement about the Alverstoke sea defences being cancelled and it was the Lib Dems’ problem to fix.

He said: “She was wrong on both counts. It’s never been cancelled, it’s been suspended. It was suspended when the Conservatives ran the council before the Liberal Democrats took over. It was suspended pending a resolution with a practical problem with cable but more importantly, needing an OK from the government for another £800,000 from the Environment Agency.” 

Cllr Chegwyn said: “She should check her facts first before trying to score cheap political points. It was disappointing, maybe even irresponsible for the MP to cause great distress to the residents when so much flooding had happened to Alverstoke recently.” 

In early May, Storm Pierrick brought flooding chaos to Alverstoke when 50 homes in Alverstoke village were evacuated as a tidal river burst its banks in the early hours of the morning leaving the residents homeless and devastated.

Ms Dinenage said Gosport Borough Council should prioritise sea defences now the local elections had finished and criticised them for spending £50,000 on a feasibility study for a building the council are developing, The Criterion. 

She said in her column, she would be meeting with the Environment Agency and minister to do her bit, and put focus on the issue but the ultimate responsibility was with Gosport Borough Council to secure funding for its project.

But Cllr Chegywn argued it was up to Ms Dinenage to help secure that funding from the Environment Agency – not the council.

An Environment Agency spokesman said: “Unfortunately, as the costs have escalated, there is now a need to secure sources of funding and we continue to work in partnership with the council in doing this.”