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A group of politicians have called on Leeds City Council to look into its own decision to merge two charities in West Yorkshire, claiming there was not enough evidence checks had been made.

A panel of councillors will meet next week to discuss a merger of two council-affiliated environmental organisations – Groundwork Leeds and Groundwork Wakefield – which was given the green light at a Leeds City Council Executive Board meeting last week.

The call-in was put forward by Liberal Democrat councillors in Leeds, who said ‘significant information’ as to the state of the two organisations was not given to councillors, and should be investigated by one of the council’s scrutiny boards.

It read: “(The) reason for a call-in was so that issues which the group had some misgivings about could receive a level of scrutiny and explanation that was not available at the Executive Board meeting.

A Leeds City Council committee will look into the issue.

“(There was) no evidence of an independent due diligence exercise prior to recommending dissolution of Groundwork Leeds and Groundwork North Yorkshire and transferring assets to Groundwork Wakefield.”

It added that no risk assessment or legal advice on the merger process was recommended, while significant information was not included in the Executive Board report.

Groundwork Leeds is a registered charity established in 1986 to work with local people, schools and businesses. A report which went before the Executive Board said the organisation employs 99 people and generates around £1.6m through the provision of community services, life and skills employment, support for young people, business support and landscape

services.

The report added: “Following an extensive period of consideration and due diligence, detailed proposals have been developed for the merger of Groundwork Leeds, Wakef

Leeds charities merger to come under spotlight