CALLS have been made for an independent inquiry into the costs surrounding the proposed development of Wentworth Street car park in Malton.

Ryedale District Council (RDC) is facing a bill of £166,549.47, excluding VAT, after losing a judicial review over plans for a supermarket on the site.

The Fitzwilliam Malton Estate (FME) has submitted a claim for legal costs after winning the High Court hearing last month.

The court order blocking the planning permission also provides for all FME’s costs in the matter to be recovered from the district council. However, at a meeting of the authority's planning committee last week, members were told that the FME had been offered £80,000.

District councillor Lindsay Burr said that whatever the public's opinion was on the sale of Wentworth street car park, it could not be denied that the district council was guilty of squandering away thousand of pounds of taxpayers money on the issue.

She said: "What a disgraceful, unforgivable situation RDC has found itself in and it must stop now, enough is enough.

"I feel RDC has lost all credibility with residents of Ryedale and I question its integrity regarding the handling of taxpayers funds.

"We have a golden opportunity to re-think and take stock. I am calling for someone to say sorry.

"I also need to be re-assured that tax-payers money is well protected, so to that end I will be calling for a truly independent inquiry to take place, in order for all councillors to see facts and figures to ensure this never happens again."

Fellow councillor Paul Andrews said: "Whether the amount claimed is eventually settled at £80k or £166k or somewhere in between. This is still a colossal waste of taxpayers' money.

"The estate's solicitors warned the council they would be claiming £150k costs if the matter went to trial in a letter sent to all council members on April 16, but this was ignored.

"I understand the estate has made several attempts to discuss the matter with the council, but the council's administration refused all invitations to negotiate, and failed to report this to ordinary council members. Their excuse: that the council was duty bound to defend its decisions come what may, is nonsense."

Malton Town Councillor Denys Townsend, said following a Freedom of Information request to RDC, he had received details of the costs from 2008 to 2015 of the proposed development of Wentworth Street car park.

"From this it is clear that half a million pounds of Ryedale taxpayers money has been squandered to date on this unwanted project together with countless officer hours," he said. "Win or loose it will cost Ryedale taxpayers more money."

Councillor Linda Cowling, leader of RDC, said disposal of council property was a normal part of their business.

"Councils throughout the county do it all the time, there is nothing unusual in this process," she said.

"If we had never tried the scheme for Wentworth Street car park there would never have been these costs but then again if FME had not opposed these costs would never have arisen."