MINEHEAD Town Council has been accused of stifling development by letting politics get in the way of working in partnership with a raft of local organisations.

Business leader Graham Sizer, chairman of Minehead Chamber of Commerce, said his frustrations with the authority spilled over this week when councillors failed to actively support his organisation's funding bid to install decorative lighting in around 26 trees in The Avenue.

The council's decision to only "note" Mr Sizer's request for support will have little impact on whether the project goes ahead as the £30,000 needed is being sought from a planning gain pot of cash administered by West Somerset Council.

The town council is only a consultee and it is the district authority that will make the decision on whether the money - which is linked to the Morrison's supermarket development - will be handed over.

But Mr Sizer said the negativity displayed by town councillors when he outlined the project to them at a meeting on Tuesday was the final straw.

The town council has already crossed swords with the Minehead Visioning Group when only last month it returned a vote of no confidence in the organisation.

Relations with the district council are also strained, while dealings with the Minehead Development Trust, which employs Minehead's visioning manager, runs the tourist information centre and is behind ambitious plans to buy the town's old hospital, have also not always gone smoothly.

Now Mr Sizer claims the chamber of commerce has been "tarred with the same brush" by the town council.

He said the tree lights project was not the only bone of contention.

"I have been trying to work with the council on the Christmas lights switch-on event since June - it has always been a town council and chamber of commerce venture.

"Over the last two weeks more traders than ever have come forward with their own in-shop party ideas but the posters and banners produced by the council this week do not mention anything about the shops or what the chamber are doing - we have had to produce our own."

The timing of the switch-on event - noon to 5pm on December 6 - has also caused concern amongst some traders as it is the same weekend as the hugely popular Dunster by Candlelight celebrations.

Mr Sizer said for the town council now not to "approve" a project - the installation of lights in The Avenue - that would not cost them a bean was senseless.

"I believe the chamber, visioning group and Minehead Development Trust are grouped as meddlers by elements within the town council."

He said he felt local organisations were genuinely trying to speak on behalf of the various groups in the community and actually get things done.

"Under the current regime, this isn't happening and I am afraid to say it is only because of the town council."

Mr Sizer said with local elections due to take place next May, change was desperately needed.

And he said the council needed more members without any "political baggage."

"I urge anyone who has a real love of the town and hates local politics to put their names forward."

Minehead mayor Cllr Les Smith responded to Mr Sizer's criticism by saying partnership working was all about "two-way traffic."

"I know Mr Sizer is very enthusiastic about the things he's involved in but at times he takes short cuts," he said.

"The town council can't do that - we are bound by our standing orders, procedures and protocol.

"One person cannot speak for the council - we have to do things properly."

Cllr Smith said there were issues with the "transfer of information" but would not be drawn on the specific reasons why councillors had not supported Mr Sizer's request for backing for the Avenue tree lights project.

"I would support Mr Sizer's plea for people to put themselves forward for election next May - I hope as many people as possible do so.

"What I would say is that although the current town councillors may not always see eye to eye on everything, they all want the best for Minehead - that is what we all want."