OFFICIALS in charge of a £1.2 billion plan to put the running of Ilkley's public buildings into private hands has been slammed by watchdogs.

The scheme - involving buildings such as the Manor House Museum, Town Hall, swimming pool, White Wells and public library -- was devised by Bradford Council's asset management team in a bid to attract funding to maintain and restore the buildings.

But top managers at City Hall have been heavily criticised by official auditors for failing to follow proper procedures in the handling of the biggest contract in the authority's history.

Senior officers failed to keep full records of a crucial meeting about the awarding of contracts to run the council's £1.2 billion worth of assets, a damning report has revealed.

The private meeting in June last year would have guided council leaders in deciding which private company would be awarded the valuable 20-year deal to run the district's sports centres, swimming pools and libraries.

But auditors investigating the controversial Asset Management Project (AMP) said they found scant records of how the massive decision was reached.

In its report, financial watchdog the Audit Commission said it was just one of many basic errors in a flawed process on which the authority has so far spent at least £2.1 million.

The initial announcement of the scheme attracted fears that public buildings could be lost or not taken care of properly. An opposition group was formed by Keighley Town Council and Ilkley Parish Councillor Brian Mann was one of its members.

Having been informed of the Audit Commission's findings, he said: "I think we were justified in our concerns. What we want now is to get back on track and get some sensible activity into the management of our assets. The assets we have got have got to be safeguarded and managed properly.

"If it is better under the private sector, then so be it. We have got to be sure that what we want is what we get."

The whole project had to be postponed in June last year before a deal could be signed following anonymous allegations about how the contract was awarded.

Two investigations were started, one by the council, which looked at allegations about individuals, and another by the Audit Commission which looked at the processes involved.

The council's investigation is still going on and director of Asset Management Linda Carmichael remains suspended, but the eight-month Audit Commission inquiry was published last week and heavily criticised the process behind the bid saying it might even have broken strict European Union laws.