CONTROVERSY over an out-of-court settlement with a racing circuit has continued to dog the council which administers the area.

Senior executives and a panel of five councillors sanctioned a deal which is thought to have seen as much as £40,000 handed to the management of Croft motor racing circuit, near Darlington.

The payment covered the costs incurred defending a noise abatement notice, which was issued by Richmondshire District Council, and later dropped on the advice of its legal team.

However, both sides signed a confidentiality agreement which was supposed to put a lid on the sum of money involved.

At a meeting this week, some council members wanted to know why councillors not privy to the meetings with Croft had not been told about the out-of-court settlement or the size of the payment.

Councillor Richard Good described the secrecy as "selective democracy".

He said: "I think it is regrettable that we seem to be moving towards an age when some people are given the whole story and others are not."

But chief executive Harry Tabiner said that, once the confidentiality agreement was signed, details could not be circulated without breaching it.

Ward councillor Jane Parlour, who has led a campaign to limit noise from the circuit, said: "When there is an issue over substantial amounts of public money being spent, then the public has a right to know.