Council land being sold at 'fraction' of its value
BBCOpposition councillors have said they will complain to the government after claiming their local authority sold off land for less than it was worth.
Reform UK-led Durham county Council recently signed a deal to sell the former Caterhouse Pit site, which is part of the wider Sniperley housing development on the edge of Durham City.
Liberal Democrat councillor Mark Wilkes said he had seen figures suggesting how much the land was valued at and it had been sold at a "fraction of that amount".
The council said an independent valuation had been carried out, which had been reviewed by its owner valuers and endorsed by statutory officers.
Liberal Democrat, Independent, Labour and Conservative councillors have argued the value of the land was based on the average house prices across County Durham, rather than the higher value of the city, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
They claim the council has breached its duty to secure the "best consideration reasonably obtainable" under the Local Government Act.
In a letter to the local authority, councillors requested a "call-in", allowing the deal to be referred back to the cabinet and a new valuation to be obtained.
'Delaying housing delivery'
The council denied the call-in request and said it had followed the correct process.
"I will now be writing to the Secretary of State and working with other councillors because it is not right for this local authority to give away land at below value," Wilkes said.
The opposition councillors also claimed Caterhouse Pit should be retained because of its historic links to the former Framwellgate Colliery and its use as an informal green space and wildlife area.
The county council rejected these concerns because the land was not designated as a nature reserve or listed as an asset of community value.
It also said removing the plot from the deal could force a renegotiation on less favourable terms, delaying housing delivery and putting the wider development at risk.