THE MOVE by IW Council’s deputy leader George Brown to spend up to £220,000 on a new lift at Ventnor Botanic Gardens appears to be getting stuck between floors.

As revealed in the last edition of The Gazette, Cllr. George Brown committed the funding amid claims by the IW Council that the Island attraction lost £7,000 a week in the summer because tourists could not access the site due to the inadequate facilities.

But with wholesale cuts, and many other Council attractions due to be sold off to raise cash, the timing of Cllr. Brown’s decision has been brought into question. Now his decision will go back to the Council’s Scrutiny Committee for deliberation and recommendation.

In turn they will send it back to Cllr. Brown for further consideration, which could force him into a change of mind, although he remains defiant. He Brown, said: “The reasons for the decisions have been fully set out in the delegated decision report

“However I welcome the opportunity to attend the call-in meeting of November 11 and explain once again why this decision is in the interests both of council tax payers and the long term future of Ventnor Botanic Garden.

“I hope this call-in will not affect our ability to install a new, fully functional, lift in time for the 2011 season thereby further affecting the garden’s opportunity to accommodate all visitors and to maximise income.”

Several opposition councillors have raised their concerns about the massive outlay claiming there was has not been enough consultation before the decision was made, as well as questioning why the funding decision was being rushed through.