Northampton Town loan: Council private meeting criticised

Plans to exclude the public from a meeting about legal action to reclaim a missing loan to Northampton Town Football Club have been criticised.

Northampton Borough Council lent £10.25m to the League One club to redevelop the stadium and nearby land, but the work stalled.

The council is trying to reclaim the money and said its meeting on Wednesday would include confidential information.

It said the decision had been taken for legal reasons.

One member of the public said in a letter to the council: "There are a number of issues that the council must be open with the public about.

"Councillors as workers for the public and are answerable to tax payers, not the other way around."

Another said: "I wish to record my strong objection that a part of a cabinet meeting to discuss the recovery of the £10.25m loan to Northampton Town Football Club will be held in private because of the pending legal case."

The letter said local people were "entitled to see" how their money was being spent in taking legal action to recover the money.

The loan is also subject to a police investigation and so far 24 people have been arrested or interviewed under caution.

The council said in a statement: "The special cabinet meeting to be held on the 25 April 2018 will be held in private for the following reasons: the meeting will be hearing legal strategy in a live litigation case against named individuals, together with further proposed legal recovery actions against other named individuals.

"The meeting will hear from external legal advisors and will contain information about the financial affairs of named individuals. The council's recovery actions will also have a connection with the police investigation, which is live and ongoing."