A POINTS system for refurbishment of run-down shopping areas has been dismissed in favour of "political motivation" it was claimed this week.

At a meeting of the executive committee at Three Rivers District Council it was agreed that the annual £10,000 grant to a local shopping parade for refurbishment would be awarded to Tudor Parade in Mill End.

However, at a meeting of the housing and environment policy panel back on November 7, a different conclusion was drawn.

Seven shopping parades were assessed to see which was most in need of refurbishment.

The assessment took into account criteria including the physical condition of the parade, number of empty premises, size of catchment area, and car ownership within the area. Based on the results a points system was agreed, prioritising parades and their need for the grant.

Prestwick Road in South Oxhey accrued 17 points; Little Oxhey Lane, South Oxhey 16 points; Denham Way in Maple Cross 14 points; Tudor Parade 12 points; Baldwins Lane in Croxley Green 11 points; Bedmond 11 points and The Swillett ten points. However, last week the executive committee agreed on Tudor Parade, citing the fact that the Happy Man pub in Berry Lane being burned down last year was a reason to give something positive to residents in Mill End, a reason also given by panel chairman Peter Wakeling.

South Oxhey councillor and housing panel member Kerron Cross slammed the committee for disregarding the findings of the policy panel. He said: "I am absolutely gobsmacked with this and fed up that yet again the executive have simply ignored what we advised at the housing panel meeting, so they can put investment into their own areas ahead of elsewhere.

"We set out which shopping areas needed the most help and investment, which were the most run down, which were most well used and which were in the most deprived area.

"At the last meeting Peter Wakeling supplied a recommended list for investment.

"This list was based on criteria that he and the officers had come up with to help us make a recommendation. "The Lib Dems have no time for South Oxhey and to me this looks like another politically motivated decision - diverting money into a Lib Dem area ahead of the elections."

Councillor Wakeling refuted Councillor Cross's claims and said the decision was made in order to distribute the grant evenly across the district.

Hallowes Crescent in South Oxhey is being refurbished this year.

Councillor Wakeling said: "The panel can only make recommendations to the executive, it does not make decisions.

"Three Rivers is a large district and as Hallowes Crescent (in South Oxhey) has been awarded this year's grant the executive decided that to allocate the grant to the same area two years running would be unfair. "There is no political motivation behind the decision, it was made in order to allow shopping parades and residents from across the district to benefit equally."