At last Friday’s meeting of the council’s health scrutiny panel – a watchdog to promote closer working with the NHS – Liberal Democrats tabled a motion to refer the lack of consultation by the local NHS trust to the Secretary of State.

Lib Dem panel member Alexander Payton said he had unearthed powers to refer the item to Whitehall, but Conservatives said legal advice had confirmed the council had no powers to prevent the closure.

Cllr Payton said: “Residents of Newbury worked hard to raise money for this local facility. In agreeing to back the sale of the site the Conservatives have given away locally raised money to the NHS black hole when they could have backed us and stood up for local people. Under NHS rules if that site is sold that money will never be seen again by the people of West Berkshire.”

But council leader Graham Jones angrily rebuffed the claim, adding: “This is a serious issue which up till now has been treated in a serious and mature way by the members of the panel. I deplore the crude party political point-scoring has been attempted by the Lib Dems.

“Points of difference are being exagerated in a way which is unhelpful to the public, Council and the PCT.

The Lib Dems are starting a Save Charles Clore petition at their local party meeting tonight, and opposition leader Jeff Brooks maintained that the Tories missed the opportunity to stop the planned closure – ordered by NHS managers to save £1m, which will pay for a £15m debt in Milton Keynes.

Mr Jones went on: “It was outside the powers of the Panel to refer this item to the Secretary of State. This was confirmed by the council’s solicitor, so all we can do is make recommendations, which have been done. To suggest otherwise is both irresponsible and deceitful.”