Decision-making at a council could be thrown into chaos following a row over moves to force shopkeepers to accept huge rent increases.

Labour councillors on Adur District Council were meeting today to decide whether to question every decision made by the ruling Conservative Independent Alliance (CIA).

This could mean all decisions having to be reconsidered by scrutiny boards.

Labour councillors decided to act after the CIA voted on Tuesday to impose arbitration on shopkeepers in Southwick Square, Southwick, in their battle against rent rises of up to 60 per cent.

They asked for the decision to be called-in for full scrutiny before it was acted upon, but their call was rejected by the scrutiny board at its meeting on Wednesday.

Labour councillors, led by Mike Willson who represents Southwick Square, walked out of the meeting in disgust.

Labour group leader Daniel Yates said: "The incompetence of the ruling group is only matched by their confidence."

Council leader Neil Parkin said traders had been given three options to resolve the rent dispute, which had been agreed by all parties on the council.

Coun Parkin said: "The traders came back to us with a fourth option of holding meaningful negotiations on the rents.

"That is not something we could do legally so we had no choice but to go for the rents being decided by independent and binding arbitration.

"The Lib Dems felt the decision should stand and voted with us on the issue.

"I am disappointed that Labour is going back to student union politics because it no longer controls the council."