SOUTHEND Council leader Nigel Holdcroft has called on urban regeneration company Renaissance Southend to be more transparent.

Mr Holdcroft said he believed the company should impose a stricter code of conduct on its directors, much like the code that binds councillors, now that it was having more input into the development of Southend.

He said: "Renaissance Southend is not actually a quango, but a company limited by guarantee.

"When it was set up, I understand it followed a model template which was put forward by English Partnerships. I feel this was fine in the early days when it was being set up and looking at everything in a broad-brush manner.

"However, times have changed, and I would like to see exactly the same regulations put on members of the board as they are on councillors, regarding declarations of interest.

"While I am absolutely certain nothing untoward has taken place, now Renaissance Southend is more involved in day-to-day matters and commercial issues, I feel it would be better to ensure everything is absolutely transparent." Mr Holdcroft's comments come after questions were raised about the potential conflict of interest for former Southend Renaissance director Mike Gray, who is also managing director of Dedman Planning and Regener-ation.

Mr Gray later stood down from the regeneration company's board.

Mike Lambert, chief executive of Renaissance Southend, said its existing code of conduct went further than was required by company law and had been recommended by English Partnerships.

But he added: "I am more than happy to accept the views being put forward by Mr Holdcroft and agree to the principles as in local government.

"This is something which I think we will be doing as part of our normal review procedures as the company develops."