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Daily barred from meeting as councillors ‘sworn to secrecy’ on property deal

A council has refused to reveal the terms of a secret deal after barring a regional daily from a meeting.

Stoke-on-Trent daily the Sentinel was denied access to a meeting of Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s cabinet where the terms of a property agreement were revealed.

Councillors were told an unnamed company was set to sign a five-year deal to lease up to two floors of council-owned office block Smithfield One, pictured below.

But the authority has declined to provide a statement to The Sentinel’s Stoke-on-Trent Live sister website regarding the development or reveal the name of the company involved.

Smithfield One

The site has reported city councillors have “also been sworn to secrecy” over the deal.

It is understood that a non-disclosure agreement is in place between the parties involved.

The minutes of the private cabinet meeting state: “It is agreed that cabinet grants authority to grant a lease of part of the first floor and the whole of the second floor, One Smithfield, for a period of five years substantially on the terms set out in this report.

“It is agreed that cabinet grants delegated authority to the director of housing, development and growth, in consultation with the cabinet member for regeneration, infrastructure and heritage, to finalise and agree the terms of the lease.”

One councillor, who asked not to be named, told The Sentinel: “I have been told that the organisation does not wish to be named currently and I was told this confidentiality is on behalf of the organisation and not for the council.”

The Sentinel declined to comment when approached by HTFP.