LANARKSHIRE LAND SALE QUESTIONED.

LANARKSHIRE LAND SALE QUESTIONED.

HEPBURN ASKS POLICE AND AUDIT SCOTLAND TO INVESTIGATE.

SNP MSP Jamie Hepburn has raised questions over a potential land sale by North Lanarkshire Council which could see the local authority lose tens of millions of pounds.

Central Scotland MSP Mr Hepburn has written to Strathclyde Police and the Auditor General asking them to investigate the circumstances which led to developers exercising their option to buy a piece of land for £500,000 from North Lanarkshire Council the day before it's value was massively increased to an estimated £60 million by a council decision to re-zone the land for housing.

Commenting on the deal reported in today's News of the World which saw land at East Waterhead farm near Cumbernauld sold to Multi-Link Leisure Developments Mr Hepburn said;

"It is asking a lot of taxpayers to believe this deal was just coincidence.
"There are a lot of questions to be answered by the developers and the council.
"I have raised questions over this deal with the police and the Auditor General asking them to investigate what has happened here.

“The public have been potentially ripped off by tens of millions of pounds.

“Residents and taxpayers in Cumbernauld will be outraged at the council selling land so cheaply when they knew it was clearly worth so much more.

“North Lanarkshire Council complains it needs more resources then loses the taxpayer tens of millions of pounds in land deals.

"For developers to buy up the land a day before its value was massively increased and to be so determined that the council will not get an extra penny certainly looks suspicious.

"The public must be able to get some of this money back."