Richmond Council has been accused of resorting to desperate tactics in an effort to raise cash after it agreed proposals to sell-off its historic offices at Langholm Lodge for housing.

Conservative councillors have been in uproar since the council announced its intention to alter part of its unitary development plan a blueprint for development in the borough over the next 10 years to enable the 19th century mansion to be sold for housing.

The building housed Richmonds leisure services department until last year when staff were relocated to Twickenham as part of a package of cuts to help plug a £6.5 million shortfall in the councils budget.

Langholm Lodge was placed on the market as a site for offices but the council received more substantial offers from developers seeking to convert the property into houses.

The council has now performed a complete U-turn and is preparing to change its policy so that housing can be permitted on the site in Richmond Road, Petersham.

At Tuesdays full council meeting the Liberal Democrats administration was given a rough ride as it explained its reasons for the changes.

But Councillor Mark Kreling said the council was trying to gloss over the real reasons for the sale, and added that it simply boiled down to money.

He said: The council has not got any money and it

is desperately scratching around for every last penny by fiddling with its own plans.

It shows the council will even change its own unitary development plan when it has to.

Council leader Serge Lourie admitted the council was experiencing financial difficulties and he suggested that any extra funds generated by the sale of Langholm Lodge could be ploughed back into projects in the borough.

But he was unwilling to make a firm commitment as to what the money would be spent on.

Mr Lourie also sparked a protest from members of his own party after he urged councillors not to vote for proposals to ringfence any additional funds for affordable housing.

By.Helen Barnes