Plans to sell off 20 council-acquired homes in Blackley to households on up to £80,000 a year have sparked anger in the town hall.

In a strongly-worded warning to senior officers and politicians, Labour backbenchers have claimed the scheme planned at the Booth Hall site on Charlestown Road has had too little scrutiny, the decision-making process has been ‘unacceptable’ and the houses are to be marketed at people on ‘staggeringly high’ incomes.

Town hall bosses revealed plans to purchase the cluster of Taylor Wimpey-built housing last year, outlining moves to sell them under a shared-ownership lease scheme to be run by the social landlord Northwards and aimed at current council tenants.

Some of the homes have already gone on the market.

But a group of councillors have ‘called in’ the decision for further scrutiny later this week - arguing it is not acceptable for such a decision ‘of this magnitude’ to have been approved ‘without democratic oversight’.

The cover report also reveals members of the economies scrutiny committee fear the move to sell off what is effectively council housing may not have been taken on a ‘sound basis’.

They have also strongly objected to the appointment of Cheshire-based estate agents Equity Living to market the properties before councillors had had the chance to look at the decision.

And they question the eligibility criteria for the housing - including an earnings threshold of £80,000 per household.

In January Manchester’s then-deputy council leader Bernard Priest said he was ‘particularly pleased’ with the Booth Hall scheme because it would offer people a new route onto the housing ladder.

Council chiefs view it as a new and innovative way to give Manchester some badly-needed affordable housing.

But the five backbenchers - Sam Wheeler, Ben Clay, Adele Douglas, Basil Curley and Marcus Johns, four of whom are new to the council this year - have outlined a string of stinging concerns.

One of the reasons given for the call-in, written by Coun Wheeler, states: “Given the political salience of housing, with more than 13,000 Mancunians on the housing register, and the commitments within the 2018 manifesto which all members of the majority party are mandated with delivering by the people of Manchester, no decision on the ‘disposal’ of council housing stock should proceed without scrutiny by elected members in committee.

“It is not acceptable for officers or executive members to approve decisions of this magnitude without democratic oversight.”

He also argues that inconsistencies in the explanations of the scheme given by officers make it difficult for members to trust their arguments, adding: “As such, elected members can have no confidence in the paper’s assertion, nor that the subsequent decision to sell 20 units of council stock was taken on a sound basis.”

The call-in report raises particular concerns about the appointment of Equity Living to market the housing, warning that it is ‘of serious concern’ that they had already begun promoting the housing on May 25, a fortnight before councillors had been notified of the move.

“It is unacceptable for decisions over ratepayers’ money and assets to be made this way. Once again, this calls into question the decision-making process,” it adds.

And it argues that while the housing is being classed as ‘affordable’, it is being marketed at applicants earning up to £80,000 a year between them, a sum it describes as ‘staggeringly high, at three times the average household income’.

It adds: “Given that Northwards Housing will be the first point of call for many socially rented tenants and those in housing need in North Manchester, and given their

unparalleled experience of appropriately matching Mancunians with housing, it is questionable why a private sector estate agent is required at all.

“Suitable tenants who wish to move from the social-rented sector to shared ownership can surely do so through Northwards.”

Both Coun Wheeler and Coun Clay - who were elected onto the council in May - told the M.E.N. their primary concern was to understand how the Booth Hall housing model is expected to work.

Coun Clay said he was not ‘jumping on it to suggest it was an outrage’, but said he felt socially rented housing should be more of a priority than homes for sale.

“I think social housing is more important and will become increasingly important, because it’s getting harder and harder to get onto the property ladder,” he said.

“As the Labour party we are there to represent the interests of everyone but particularly those who are most in need.

“We are interested in understanding this process and this model and how it works for the benefit of Manchester people.”

Equity Housing referred the M.E.N. to Manchester council.

Coun Suzanne Richards, Manchester council’s executive member for housing and regeneration, said: “The Booth Hall development represents a good opportunity to bring high quality affordable homes to market intended for shared ownership to help Manchester people in to their own home.

"Our intention is to offer these homes first to people currently living in social housing, which would bring the added benefit of freeing up social homes.

“These can being built because of an affordable homes grant funding agreement with Homes England to deliver 40 units at affordable rent and 20 shared ownership properties. This agreement was approved by the Council’s executive in December 2017.

“The scrutiny process is about giving members the opportunity to examine decisions and we will provide a full and detailed response at the upcoming meeting.”

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