The Sinn Féin deputy lord mayor of Belfast has been criticised by the City Council over a housing proposal in his back garden. The DUP accused Mr Joe O'Donnell of feathering his nest, and councillors have voted for further investigation into the deal by the Northern Ireland Office.
Mr O'Donnell, who was elected as deputy lord mayor three months ago, last year purchased from the Housing Executive land at the bottom of his garden in the Short Strand area of east Belfast.
He planned to build three town houses for a local housing association on the land, for which he paid £1,000, but did not inform the Housing Executive. Originally he agreed to terms on the purchase limiting the use of land to a garden extension.
The housing proposals were rejected by planners.
A DUP motion critical of the deputy lord mayor was passed by 24 votes to 10 and attracted support from councillors on both sides of the chamber. Mr O'Donnell, who is on holiday, was not present for the debate or the vote.
A former UUP lord mayor, Mr Jim Rodgers, said the issue was "desperately serious", and suggested the deputy lord mayor should not perform his duties pending further inquiry.
The SDLP's Mr Alban Maginness said: "The excuses that Councillor O'Donnell have put forward really do stretch credibility."
Mr David Alderdice, of the Alliance party, said Mr O'Donnell was either "naïve or knave". Mr David Ervine, of the Progressive Unionists. said the deputy lord mayor was "either pathetically naïve or potentially dishonest".
Mr Eoin Ó Broin, a north Belfast colleague of the deputy lord mayor, said Mr O'Donnell had done nothing wrong, had acted with the intention of helping a local housing association and had not sought to profit from the deal.
Mr Ó Broin said: "It's a politically-motivated attack by the DUP, SDLP and others coming up to a local government election."
Mr O'Donnell's planning application was rejected for several reasons, including a loss of existing open space and concern it could cause over-development and damage local character. The issue will be referred to the Northern Ireland Office Minister, Mr John Spellar.