THREE Rivers District Council's decision to look into doing a £2 million deal with Watford Borough Council for better leisure facilities was "called in" this week.

As reported previously, the district council had agreed to investigate the implications of investing with Watford to improve leisure facilities in the area.

The executive committee recommended on Monday, September 12, that the matter be referred back to the leisure panel, with a detailed report.

Then, at a meeting of the council's scrutiny panel on Monday evening, the decision was called in.

Steve Drury, a Liberal Democrat district and county councillor, and member of the leisure committee, said he was pleased at the decision.

He said: "Nothing at all has been decided yet, and previously there was not enough information to bring the proposal to committee, it was just approved in principle by the executive committee.

"However, now that we will be discussing it and will have more information about the proposal, it will hopefully allay the fears of those that have panicked in recent weeks.

"Nothing at all has been decided yet, but the money is there from the budget, which was set back in February."

Councillor Pendlebury, leader of the Three Rivers Conservative Party, was one of the three authors of the call in, along with Tony Barton (Conservative) and Francis Durham (Labour).

He said: "The Liberals have shown a degree of deviousness, arrogance and contempt, which could not go unchallenged.

"I am pleased that the ordinary Liberal members on the panel finally saw the light of day and voted with the Conservative and Labour members to kick the decision into touch for the time being, while the matter is openly debated, with the ability for the general public to see what they may or may not be getting from their £2m gift to Watford equivalent to 33 per cent of our annual Council Tax."

A statement from Three Rivers District Council said: "The decision of the meeting of September 12 was reviewed by the scrutiny committee and it was referred back to the executive, which is likely just to reaffirm its decision."