Manchester City Council is under the spotlight over property agreements involving Abu Dhabi United Group.
The Telegraph reports that a senior council director resigned in protest after allegedly being asked to write a report recommending the 2017 purchase of Central Retail Park at a price he believed was too high.
The paper says the council paid £35m, and that a confidential document shows the land was to be reserved for Abu Dhabi for future development.
The council told the newspaper it disagreed with the opinion presented.
‘The decision to acquire the site has not been formally challenged and the price reflects the value of a large retail site and key city centre regeneration opportunity. The cost to the council was agreed on the basis that it would be recovered through the long-term development of the site,’ they said.
A council spokesperson also told LocalGov that a wider partnership with Abu Dhabi United Group supported £1.25bn of regeneration, including the delivery of 1,500 homes.
