A COUNCIL is so confident it has done nothing wrong following criticism over spending that it has asked the Audit Commission to investigate.

The opposition Labour Party of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council called for an independent inquiry into the disposal of assets by the council following decisions made at a recent cabinet meeting.

Cabinet members decided that offices and storage space in its ownership at the corner of Dundas Street and Bath Street in Saltburn, should be sold to the highest bidder, who offered £422,315, rather than to Groundwork South Tees, which offered £75,000 and promised to provide meeting rooms for community groups.

At the same meeting, cabinet members decided to sell sites at the Lodge Farm former care home in Eston and the former petrol filling station site at Roseberry Road in Redcar, for 50 per cent of their market value in an effort to attract a private partner to develop extra-care housing for older people.

Labour Councillor Brenda Forster criticised the decisions saying they were inconsistent and a scandal and called for the Audit Commission to conduct an independent inquiry.

But cabinet member for corporate resources Councillor Glyn Nightingale said: "I am so confident about this barmy call for an inquiry that I have already asked the Audit Commission to investigate.

"I am equally certain they will completely vindicate the council's actions and I am amazed that the Labour opposition councillors believe it's even worth referring to the commission. We should be congratulated for our efforts in getting millions of pounds from the asset sales Labour criticise, which we are using for vital priorities like the extra care housing for older people."