There is no sign the controversy surrounding the Seaway development in Southend is set to abate.

The scheme to build a leisure complex on the car park off Lucy Road has been beset by criticism suggesting it was bad deal orchestrated by Southend Council in partnership with developers Turnstone Estates.

At the heart of the controversy is a valuation of £3.8million by Savills. The leasehold of the land was sold to Turnstone for a nominal £1 in exchange for the developer orchestrating the development, which the council believes will bring new jobs and prosperity to the ailing town centre.

The deal has since been scrutinised by independent bodies and judged sound, but mud sticks and councillors now need to be convinced once and for all that the figures on future earnings from the site will outweigh the loss of what they believe is a far more valuable site than has been stated.

The simple way to allay some of those fears would be to grant a request by councillors to see an unredacted copy of Savills’ valuation.

So far that has not been forthcoming, with financial confidentiality given as the reason but as councillors point out there are rules in place which would allow them to do so without revealing details publicly.

While the council remains so intransigent on the matter it will only fuel further doubts.

It is time the council laid all its cards on the table to allow councillors to make informed judgements on the scheme.