Skipton councillors should apologise over the sale of former allotment land, it has been claimed.

In 2002, the town council entered into an agreement with Burley Developments over the possible sale of the former Burnside Allotments, off Carleton Road.

The developers were given first refusal on the site – then believed to be worth £1.2 million – if planning permission was given. The sale was always conditional on planning consent and the land was eventually sold by the council in 2009 for around £140,000.

Burley Developments then resold the land a year later for £380,000 to a developer who went on to build 38 houses on the site.

At a recent full meeting of Skipton Town Council, Skipton resident Rodney Eckhart, accused the then council of handling the sale poorly and letting down the people of Skipton.

He claimed by mishandling the sale, the town had lost out on around £250,000.

“I feel that the town council should apologise to the people of Skipton” he said.

“This is the most important capital sale that this town has dealt with and is likely to deal with and it has been a fiasco.”

Town mayor Councillor Robert Heseltine told Mr Eckhart that he could understand why people might be confused by the sale of the land.

He referred to an item in the Craven Herald which reported that 10 years ago the town council was hoping to sell the site for £1.2 million. Coun Heseltine said Mr Eckhart’s comments would be taken into account and the council would get back to him.

Earlier this year, town councillor John Kerwin-Davey was criticised by council leader Coun Paul English for making potentially damaging claims surrounding the valuation of the site at a public meeting. Council-lors went on to discuss the sale during private sessions, and concluded that the sale had been handled legally and correctly.

Dave Parker, chief officer of Skipton Town Council, said after the meeting: “The sale of the former Burnside Allotments land was completed in December 2008 and was dealt with under the terms of an option agreement signed with developers in 2002.

“The agreement was legally binding on the council and our external auditors are satisfied that the matter was dealt with correctly at the time.

“The council, of course, has no control over any subsequent use or disposal of the land.”