Barnet Council's former leader Alan Williams has denied there was any attempt to cover up the deal to sell the freehold of Barnet FC's Underhill site.

Mr Williams' statement comes a week after the news that the Labour-led council sold the land to the club just before May's elections for less than £100,000. The Burnt Oak councillor said there was no attempt to keep the sale secret, despite it not being discussed at any public meeting or during the election campaign.

"In November last year council officers under their delegated powers, which are clearly set out in the council constitution, agreed in principle to sell the freehold to the football club and that decision was published," he said.

"Members had access to that via the web. Any suggestion this was done in secret is crazy. The decision was taken in principle and subject to regulations by council valuers and legal teams and took several months.

"Anybody who has a lease has the right to purchase the freehold and Barnet FC are no different."

Mr Williams also confirmed the council negotiated a sell-on clause should the club sell the land but did not comment on exact details of the deal.

Barnet estate agent Nick Staton said the council's valuation of the land was probably in line with the market rate. He said: "With Green Belt land you just have to see what someone is willing to pay. But if that Green Belt status is ever removed it would be like winning the Lottery."

Barnet FC chairman Tony Kleanthous said the club had always wanted to buy the site to give them more security than the current 80-year lease. But he dismissed any suggestion the club plan to take the land out of Green Belt.

"If the council supports our proposals for the new stadium the whole site will stay in Green Belt. To be accused of wanting to put a supermarket in there is ridiculous because we have put in our plans that we don't want the land to come out of Green Belt," he said.

Barnet Council Leader Victor Lyon said he was opening an investigation into the handling of the land sale. He said: "I am not suggesting there was anything wrong with the sale but all I do know is that it did not appear in the public domain and that is what I will be looking into."

June 14, 2002 13:00