OPPOSITION councillors have called on auditors to investigate the controversial sale of a publicly-owned golf club to a private operator.

Stressholme Golf Course, in Darlington, is being sold off to the nearby Blackwell Grange Golf Club.

The decision to press ahead with the £1m land swap deal, which could pave the way for an executive homes development on land currently occupied by Blackwell, has led to criticism that Darlington tax payers are not getting good value for money.

The issue was called-in for further consideration by a scrutiny committee, which upheld the original cabinet decision.

Liberal Democrats on the Labour-run authority have written to the council’s independent auditors, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), asking for it to intervene.

A spokesman for the Lib Dem group said: “We do not believe that the taxpayers of Darlington will benefit from this deal.

“They will be losing a public asset for a knock-down price and the coffers of a private golf club will being filled up at public expense if the deal goes ahead.

“We are constantly told that the council has no money and services which people need and which they depend on are being cut and yet here we have a Council which is prepared to borrow money and gamble the borrowed money and also taxpayers money on land speculation.

“This is appalling and wholly wrong.”

The Lib Dems’ move has been met with exasperation from council leader Bill Dixon, who accused them of not engaging in the democratic decision-making process.

He said: “My view is that they seem totally incapable of mounting proper opposition, they did not have anything to say when the issue was brought before the different committees, but have just run off to the auditors making salacious claims.”

A council spokeswoman said: “PwC can review any item or issues within the accounts however the sale of Stressholme is not something the council would refer to them.”