Labour councillors have blasted Barnet Council for declining to hold review meetings for a £165 million contract in public.

The council currently has a 10-year contract with Re Ltd – a joint venture between the council and Capita – to deliver all the borough’s development and regulatory services including planning, building control, environmental health and highways.

Four years in, it is up for its first review this year, with arrangements discussed at last week's performance and contract management committee.

Conservative councillors, who hold the majority, took the decision to hold only one of the evidence sessions in public, which drew criticism from the opposition.

The Labour group was displeased as a previous contract review with Capita for its customer and support group contract had been carried out similarly.

Labour's performance and contract management spokesperson Cllr Geof Cooke said: “We believe the review of critical front facing services like planning and highways which cost millions of council taxpayers' money should be open and transparent to members of the public.

“The Conservatives continue to want to hide behind closed doors and discuss it all in private.

“Experience from the first Capita contract review last year tells me this is purely so Tory councillors feel free to complain about the contractor without attracting criticism from the public for signing the contract in the first place.

“It just demonstrates a total lack of accountability or a willingness to be open.”

The review will take place over the next few months with final findings and recommendations due to be shared at an upcoming committee meeting in July.

Conservative councillors in the committee meeting compromised with Labour by confirmed representatives from Re Ltd will be in attendance to be held accountable.

Leader of the council Cllr Richard Cornelius hit back at the Labour group, saying they were arguing “for the sake of it.”

He said: “The Labour councillors are in opposition so it is of course their job to oppose.

“However, I believe this is just protesting for the sake of it and really serves no purpose.

“There are matters of a commercially sensitive nature to be covered in this review which must not be discussed in the public eye.

“We will of course be publishing every detail of these reviews we can in full.”