Barnham Broom: Council fights ruling over golf club purchase

Beckland Council bought the golf club, billed as a "luxury resort" on its website, in 2006

A Tory-run council is appealing against a ruling that it must publish financial details relating to its £7m purchase of a golf club which is now up for sale for £2m.

Breckland Council bought Barnham Broom Golf Club near Norwich for £7m in 2006.

It is appealing against the Information Commissioner's Office ruling that it should publish previously confidential details about the club's ownership.

Green Party councillor Timothy Birt said it felt "like a delaying tactic".

After buying the club for £7m, the council paid a further £1.2m in taxes and spent £2m on refurbishments.

As of February, the authority was understood to be trying to sell the club for £2m, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Birt made the initial Freedom of Information request to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), and the council has now decided to appeal against the ICO ruling at a tribunal.

"The decision notice issued by the ICO is very clear - there is nothing ambiguous - so I wonder what Breckland's barrister has advised?" said the Green councillor.

"I wonder how much the barrister cost and how much taking this to a tribunal will be? Is this a good use of public money?"

A spokeswoman for Breckland said the information had not been made public "because we firmly believe that releasing commercially-sensitive information is likely to damage the business of the tenant, could negatively impact the local job market, and may be detrimental to the council's own commercial interests".