UNCERTAINTY has clouded over a council’s flagship development amid debate over whether it is delayed.

Crucial funding for the third phase of the Brighton Valley Gardens project, which will convert the Sea Life Centre roundabout into a junction, was approved by Coast 2 Capital Local Enterprise Partnership last year.

But Conservative transport spokesman Cllr Lee Wares was angered after a Brighton and Hove City Council report in January neglected to mention the partnership had admitted the funding was “severely at risk”.

A December report from Coast 2 Capital said the scheme was almost a year behind schedule and it was unlikely the city council would spend the £6 million by the funding deadline of March 2021.

The partnership recommended to strike up a “flexibility funding” agreement to allow the city council to spend the funds after the deadline.

But this report was not mentioned in information given to councillors in a meeting concerning Valley Gardens a month later.

When asked by The Argus if the funding agreement had been agreed, the city council said it was not able to comment and directed The Argus to Coast 2 Capital.

A Coast 2 Capital spokesman said the new funding agreement had been “finalised” but signatures were still needed to complete the process.

“The project is not on hold,” he insisted.

The contents of the funding agreement have not yet been revealed, keeping councillors in the dark as to when the project is expected to be complete.

Conservative Cllr Wares said he was frustrated plans for Valley Gardens Phase Three had been rushed through last year “citing the need to meet the 2021 spend deadline or lose the money”.

“Because of the purported 2021 deadline Labour has dodged any meaningful public consultation,” he said.

“This is now a choice for Labour. They can do their job properly or continue to take everybody for fools.

“They can also come clean on why they chose to keep this secret from the audit report presentation.”

But a city council spokeswoman said it had no duty to inform councillors of the Coast 2 Capital report.

“Councillors have been made aware that project completion is dependent on the funding agreement being completed,” she said.