A county councillor has criticised Gravesham council for appealing for money from developers to help pay for a statue at a time when the broough's greenbelt is under threat.

The authority is looking for £220,000 to build the Queen Elizabeth Statue in St Andrew’s Gardens, Gravesend, and approached numerous businesses about funding the project.

During a borough council meeting, county councillor Bryan Sweetland (Con), who represents Gravesham Rural and left his borough council role two and a half years ago, asked leader David Turner (Con) if any company with a potential development opportunity in the borough had offered or been encouraged to contribute to the project.

Cllr Turner confirmed various businesses including developers had been made aware of the opportunity and two – since confirmed as Esquire Developments and reportedly Edinburgh House – had donated. Edinburgh House, which owns St George’s Shopping Centre and is behind long-running proposals to transform the Heritage Quarter, contributed £20,000.

Of Esquire – which contributed £10,000 and is interested in building new homes on green-belt land off Downs Road, Istead Rise – Cllr Turner added: “The council has no specific knowledge of what land interests or options the contributor has but any applications for development must by law be determined in accordance with material planning considerations and a contribution towards the statue project is not a material planning consideration and would therefore play no part in the decision-making process.

“Similarly, any decisions in relation to the Local Plan process must be made solely based on planning considerations and a contribution towards the statue project is of no relevance.”

Cllr Sweetland, of Downs Road, said: “After speaking to council officers, it seems clear the council has been working with Esquire for some time. I have now asked for copies of all recent correspondence between them.

“It’s worrying a developer has offered this money and even more worrying the council has accepted it at a time when the green belt is being reviewed.

“The council really must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations. I think there should now be an independent review into this case.”

Paul Henry, owner of Esquire, said he was appalled by Cllr Sweetland’s comments.

He said: “We are a local business which does lots of charity work in the area and sponsor sports teams and contributing to a project like this – which will be good for the town – seemed like a nice thing to do. Yes, it’s good to get our name out there but it’s also good to give something back to our town.”

He added any suggestion there was another motive behind the contribution was “spurious and outrageous”.

Gravesham council's chief executive David Hughes confirmed the authority was made aware of Esquire’s interest in green belt land in Istead Rise prior to the contribution in May 2016 as part of the ‘call for sites’ stage of the Local Plan.

She added Esquire was not approached by the council and further stressed any contribution can legally have no impact of future planning decisions.