Isle of Wight Council chairman Cllr Geoff Brodie has quit the ruling Alliance Group.

It comes the day after a stormy planning committee meeting, which two Alliance committee members left following with a spat with Cllr Brodie.

He was acting as chair of the committee at the time. 

Read more: Councillors storm out of planning meeting

Cllr Brodie said tonight: "Today I resigned from the Alliance Group at County Hall. 

"I have resigned because I can no longer associate or work with some members of the group whose approach to planning decision-making is entirely populist rather than planning-based.

"This came to a head over the recent West Acre Park application and the subsequent behaviour of those councillors.

"I take planning very seriously and will not be bullied by anyone into pre-determining or supporting decisions I do not believe are sustainable or defendable in the face of Government policy.

"If you want that policy changed then vote for an MP who isn't a Conservative.

"I continue to be supportive of Cllr Peacey-Wilcox as Leader and Cllr Ian Stephens as her deputy. This should not mean a change in political leadership for the council.

"I remain an independent, broadly Labour-supporting councillor who has represented his local community to the best of his ability for more than 16 years." 

Read more: Councillors storm out of planning meeting

The Isle of Wight Council website has already updated and shows Cllr Brodie as Independent Labour. 

Isle of Wight County Press: The council's website.The council's website.

He left the IW Labour Party several years ago.

There are now 18 Conservative, 17 Alliance Group and four single-party councillors: Cllr Brodie, Cllr Richard Quigley (Labour), Cllr Andrew Garrett (Lib Dem) and Cllr Daryll Pitcher (Vectis Party).

The council will likely remain in No Overall Control.

The County Press has contacted the Alliance Group for a statement.