Councillors have been told that discussions for a new cinema in Coalville involve 'a huge amount of money' but also a 'big legal challenge' if things go wrong.

The latest council update on a town cinema was held in private last night (Wednesday) - despite calls from some councillors for talks to be made public,

North West Leicestershire District Council's Community Scrutiny Committee discussed developments in a session that was closed to both press and public.

However, a number of councillors said they felt uncomfortable doing so over an issue that would be paid for with public money.

At one point, it looked as though the matter would be deferred to a later date.

But council leader Cllr Richard Blunt explained why parts of what was being discussed had to remain confidential for now.

No specific details were given, but he gave an outline of what was at stake.

North West Leicestershire Council Leader Cllr Richard Blunt explained why discussions had to be held in private

Cllr Blunt told the committee: "It's a very unusual situation, I've alluded to it in Full Council before.

"This is incredibly commercially sensitive, every part of it.

"It could involve a very big legal challenge if we get it wrong.

"A huge amount of money, it would make anything else we're dealing with here look quite small.

"I don't like hiding in corners and making decisions any more than you do.

Cllr Terri Eynon

"Genuinely, the implications are so big that, to have a little bit of this out, given the pressure we know we're under from competing bids, it has to be done this way.

"The moment we have a meeting of this scale, if some were in public, some in private, it would be very difficult for officers to stop the discussion when we got to something more sensitive.

"In my opinion, it's pretty much all sensitive.

"It's a tricky one, and timing is always of the essence in these things.

"The longer it stays out without us making decisions, the more danger we're in of maybe a legal challenge, that's what we're trying to avoid."

Cllr Michael Wyatt had earlier made it known he did not want the matter being discussed behind closed doors.

He said: "I want to make an observation that I object to this item going into private, if you spend public money, it should be in the public domain."

Cllr Michael Wyatt

Cllr Terri Eynon added: "I agree with Cllr Wyatt, I am most concerned - I at least feel we should have an in-principle discussion about this matter in public.

" I understand that we may have to keep the names of particular developers out as it's commercially sensitive.

"But I'm deeply concerned we're having the discussion behind closed doors. The public will be paying for this."

The committee was then told there would be issues that 'could undermine deliverability'.