COUNCIL taxpayers in Bromsgrove are not being sold short over a £2.5m deal between Bromsgrove District Council and ASDA -- an independent valuer has concluded.

The deal involves the supermarket buying land from the council to enlarge its Market Street store and, at the authority's request, constructing a three-tier car park near the store.

ASDA is also prepared to hand the Tory-controlled council £1m in return for guarantees the Victoria Ground will never be sold to a competitor and Recreation Road south car park is never developed.

The previous Labour council had plans to develop the car park as part of a shops and leisure complex, a scheme ASDA strongly objected to.

But the leader of the Labour group on the council, Cllr Peter McDonald (Uffdown and Waseley) claims the council is not getting a fair deal and has asked the authority's auditors to investigate.

The Advertiser/Messenger has learned that in a confidential report on the matter the auditor has asked for more information about the proposals, but is happy there are no grounds to pursue the matter further.

It goes on to say the council is acting on advice from a specialist independent valuer who has okayed the financial terms and is confident they are the best that could have been achieved.

But Cllr McDonald is still not convinced.

On Monday he said: "I can confirmed the auditor is investigating further in the light of fresh evidence from myself." Council leader Cllr Nick Psirides (Con, Norton) refused to comment on a confidential report.