Work began on an £8m futuristic centre to teach young people life skills hours after a political row on its future in council chambers.

Construction workers were seen at the Sutton Life Centre site on Tuesday morning after Monday night’s hour-and-a-half heated full council debate which eventually rubber stamped the project with a majority vote.

Conservative opposition began by calling for the meeting to be postponed claiming “vital” confidential financial paperwork had only been released to them two hours before the meeting.

During the initial debate it was revealed that contractual penalties would be incurred if work did not start the next day.

But Lib Dem councillors argued the Tories should have requested the information earlier and a majority of hands voted to hear the item.

After the meeting Councillor Tim Crowley called the meeting a “farce”.

He said: “The Lib Dems have just thrown money at this project.

"It could have been built for a lot less, but without a bipartisan working group it has been impossible to analyse the cost properly.”

However after the meeting executive Councillor Graham Tope said he did not see the need for a bipartisan working group, but said an offer was made in January which was not accepted.

He also said the timing of the meeting with the start of building work was not a close call.

He said: “It was part of the agreement that building work started by May 12.

“I don’t think it was likely that the project would not have been agreed.”

During the meeting, opposition councillors flagged up concerns over the financial risk factor of the centre after figures showed it relied on attracting about 48,000 visitors a year.

Leader of the opposition Paul Scully said the project had been “steam-rollered through for the sake of political ideology”.

But Lib Dem executive member Councillor John Drage said risks could not be avoided and it would “not be possible to get an innovative development like this off the ground without being prepared to accept an element of risk.”

He said: “The important thing is to be able to monitor and manage the risks associated with this venture carefully and to take steps to ameliorate any unforeseen risks as they emerge.”

Mr Drage said the project would provide the borough with a long-term asset that in the short-term would help to provide work for the construction industry.

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