THE first public debate about a report that condemned council chiefs for making a series of mistakes over Darlington Football Club's new stadium will take place in July.

The Northern Echo revealed last month how the Local Government Ombudsman had severely criticised Darlington Borough Council over the way it handled the opening of the £20m Reynolds Arena.

Ombudsman Patricia Thomas said the authority should have sought a High Court injunction to block the opening of the Neasham Road venue in August 2003.

Several conditions of a legally-binding planning agreement had been breached.

Highways improvements, a residents' parking scheme and subsidised bus service should all have been in place by the time the Quakers' first game was played there.

The report hit out at the council, saying it was guilty of maladministration and had "undermined the confidence" of residents living near the ground, now known as the Williamson Motors Stadium.

Yesterday, the authority confirmed that the matter would come under the spotlight at a full council meeting on Thursday, July 21.

Council leader John Williams has insisted that legal action was not taken as the Quakers would have gone out of business had they failed to fulfil their opening fixture.

But Tory councillors have already seized on the report and a heated debate is expected when the matter comes up for discussion.