The conduct of a senior Swale council officer is being investigated after complaints about comments he made during a public meeting.

Pete Raine, the authority’s regeneration director, sparked a mini walkout by councillors after he spoke out about Kent Science Park (KSP) at the Sittingbourne Local Engagement Forum.

KSP’s owners want to build up to 400 homes and about 42,000 square metres of new buildings and create new sports pitches.

After warning he was going to have a “little rant”, Mr Raine, who is due to retire later this year, said he was sad to hear councillors making points of criticism about something he thought was “a feather in the cap” for Swale.

It was “sad and short-sighted”, he added, after a series of questions from councillors about housing numbers, concerns about transport and the park’s viability.

His thoughts angered a small number of councillors, who immediately headed for the exit.

Cllr Monique Bonney, an independent, said she did not want to stay and be insulted. She was closely followed by, among others, Ukip leader Cllr Mike Baldock.

Mr Raine went on to say that he hoped to see KSP thriving and he urged its bosses to seriously look at the transport issues and possibly consider staggering businesses’ opening times.

He said that he was sorry if the councillors were insulted but he thought KSP was a success story.

“It talks down what Swale can be and makes me sad and angry,” he added.

A council spokesman confirmed that an allegation had been made that Mr Raine had breached the authority’s code of conduct and the matter was being investigated by chief executive Abdool Kara.

“It talks down what Swale can be and makes me sad and angry" - Peter Raine

Meanwhile, before the walkout the meeting had heard from planning consultants Andrew Simpson and Matthew Johnson who are working on behalf of KSP.

They outlined what was likely to be included in a planning application due to be submitted at the end of October.

Unlike previous expansion plans, the emphasis was on making the most of the space available within the current security fence and updating older buildings.

The housing planned for the current sports fields, they said, would be mainly one and two-bed properties owned by KSP and rented to park employees.