SENIOR officers and councillors at Teignbridge have defended the authority’s overspend on BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend.

Exeter City and Teignbridge councils both pumped in £100,000 to stage the summer music event but it was revealed last week that between them both, they overspent by nearly another £100,000 – Teignbridge by £49,000 and Exeter by nearly £50,000.

But on Tuesday Teignbridge’s chief executive, Nicola Bulbeck, claimed it was not an overspend but merely a ‘budget variance.’

The money mishap came from the less than expected number of people using the park and ride services laid on.

Leader of the council, Cllr Jeremy Christophers, believed the ‘hole in the finances’ came from the railway company being silent in the run-up to the event and suddenly springing into action and laying on extra trains.

This meant there was less of a demand for the park and ride services, he explained.

The council will pay for the hiccup by dipping into its reserves.

Cllr Mike Haines said: ‘There is no need to pour over it as it’s a one-off event.

‘We need to accept the overspend is there and draw a line over it.’

Cllr Beryl Austen asked what would happen if the council didn’t pay the additional cash.

Cllr Christophers replied that ‘contracts were signed and we have to meet our obligation.’

Lib Dem leader Cllr Gordon Hook protested: ‘We have totally opposed this from the beginning.

‘It’s fundamentally wrong that Newton Abbot residents should pay for something that didn’t benefit them.’

He then sought a reassurance from Tory leader Cllr Christophers that this would be the last payment the authority would have to make.

Cllr Christophers told him: ‘It is my understanding that it’ll be the last payment,’

And insisted: ‘It was the most promising day in this council’s history.

‘It was our Olympics effectively.

‘I am adamant we have done the right thing.’

All 46 district councillors received an allocation of two tickets each for the event but it has come to light that Cllr Christophers was given 14 tickets and deputy leader Cllr George Gribble received 10.

Both Cllrs Christophers and Gribble were unavailable to comment at the time of going to press.

A Teignbridge Council spokesman said: ‘The BBC and council ticket allocation for Teignbridge was published and circulated internally and externally on the website as soon as it was completed.

‘How people chose to use their tickets was up to them as long as they respected the BBC’s conditions and paid the £10 contribution to Children in Need.

‘Some representatives, including the leader, played a key ambassadorial role meeting and greeting partners and stakeholders, and promoting Teignbridge across the two days of the festival.’