BUSINESS leaders in Southampton say the rejection of plans for a directly elected city mayor and fewer elections is a “missed opportunity” for the city.

Last week city councillors rejected proposals for a directly-elected mayor and also threw out a proposal to have less elections and councillors.

But business chiefs say they are “disappointed” about the decisions, saying the current system leads to an “atmosphere of instability” that could jeopardise new investment and jobs in the city.

In recent consultation, a majority of residents voted to cut councillor numbers from 48 to 32, while 52 per cent said they wanted to change the frequency of elections from three of every four years to every four years.

Forty-eight per cent also wanted to introduce an elected mayor to replace the current model of having a leader and Cabinet.

Conservative councillors said the changes would have saved £500,000 a year and voted to change election and councillor numbers.

But Labour and the rebel Councillors Against the Cuts out-voted them on both issues.

Labour had said the number of councillors in the city represented good value for money and that their workloads are increasing as the city grows.

They also said keeping the current election cycle meant residents have regular opportunities to vote against parties or politicians who have not kept promises or made unpopular choices.

But the vote was met with disappointment from the city’s business community.

Stewart Dunn, chairman of Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It’s an opportunity lost, it’s disappointing and we would still encourage them to look at this again.

“The major changes that would have come from having four-yearly elections was that it would allow whichever political party that won to follow their manifesto and write a vision that allowed the officers and council members to execute.

“But what we see now is that as soon as they are elected councillors are looking over their shoulder for the next ten months until the next elections, and are less able to make bold decisions to move the city forward.”

Simon Rhodes, managing partner at Trethowans Solicitors and chairman of new business growth group Future Southampton, added: “What I was looking for was as much stability and medium to long-term planning as possible.

“Personally I was in favour of the four-year terms and a mayor.

“It’s a shame we didn’t take the opportunity, because I think the business community would have very much welcomed it.”

Peter Robertson, a director at Condor Office Solutions and Apollo Business Supplies, added: “Having four-yearly elections would help to bring more stability, and an elected mayor would have been a better way of running the vision of the city.”