A full-blown political row has erupted around the chaotic adoption of Kirklees’ controversial Local Plan.

Opposition Tories who believe they were effectively “gagged” from speaking at Wednesday evening’s debate suspect they were victims of “orchestrated political censorship”

They are calling on Kirklees’ chief executive Jacqui Gedman to explain why key elements of the discussion are missing from the council’s minutes.

There was pandemonium in the council chamber when Labour’s Clr Gulfam Asif suddenly called for the Local Plan to be put to the vote.

He was seconded by Clr Carole Pattison (Lab, Greenhead).

But both Conservatives and Lib Dems argued that the debate should continue as many ward members had not been given an opportunity to speak.

There followed chaotic scenes during which the Mayor, Clr Gwen Lowe, struggled to maintain decorum and council officers faced a challenge over whether the matter had been discussed sufficiently.

Now the council has come under fire for publishing minutes that some councillors claim are not a true record of the meeting.

Among those fighting for clarity is Clr Martyn Bolt (Con, Mirfield), who has complained to Ms Gedman following the uproarious exchange in Huddersfield Town Hall.

“Clr Asif’s motion is not recorded in the minutes and, due to [Labour’s] poor behaviour, the member who seconded it is not recorded or heard on the webcast. Who was it?” asked Clr Bolt, who called the vote “a debacle”.

“Did the Leader [Council Leader Shabir Pandor] second the ‘chop’ motion as it is not clear who did it on the webcast. If so then it is clearly an orchestrated political censorship of debate.”

He added: “I vehemently disagree with censorship.

“I also dispute the Mayor’s assertion that there had been sufficient debate as so few members had spoken and many wards had not had one speaker.”

“The minutes are incorrect and published. It is unclear to the public who voted, and indeed who didn’t vote at all.”

A webcast of the meeting shows multiple attempts to take the recorded vote, which Clr Bolt described as “a farce”.

He said the “top table”, which included Ms Gedman and Julie Muscroft, service director (legal, governance and commissioning) had refused to accept members voting by responding to their names, which he said was a “legitimate right”.

He was backed by party colleague Clr Richard Smith (Con, Kirkburton), who has also written to Ms Gedman to express “deep concern”.

He described the vote to close the meeting early “an absolute affront to the democratic process.”

Addressing Ms Gedman he wrote: “If, as seems to be becoming the norm, a party with a majority is able to silence their opposition at will, it is imperative that the records kept of these events accurately reflect exactly what transpired,” he said.

“It is vital that the public are able to see why the meeting was brought to a premature end, who proposed and seconded the motion to do so, and which councillors voted to carry the motion.

“To me, having this information contained within the minutes is every bit as important as the record of how individual councillors voted on the adoption of the Local Plan.”

Given the Labour group’s majority there was little doubt that the Local Plan would be adopted.

But fewer than a third of councillors were allowed to debate the issue before the “extraordinary” meeting of full council was cut short.

The move was described as “an appalling abuse of power” by Conservatives with Labour accused of “bullyboy tactics”  by Lib Dems.

The Local Plan was passed by a 33-23 vote with three abstentions.

A Kirklees Council spokesperson said: “Some concerns have been raised in relation to the Full Council meeting on February 27,  and these are being dealt with in line with the correct council procedures.”