Northampton Borough Council's (NBC) decision to transfer the operation of its leisure and sports facilities to a newly-formed charitable trust will be investigated.

The cabinet's decision to move forward with the proposals were called in by opposition councillors Lee Mason and Tony Clarke, who argued there had been no pre-scrutiny, public consultation or complete legal advice. At a meeting of NBC's cabinet on 3 March, when the decision was made, it was claimed that the creation of a new trust to operate borough leisure facilities would open up funding sources not currently available.

A report put before the cabinet said: "A charitable trust that is correctly set up and provided with the appropriate leadership and support will have the potential to herald an era of aspiration and innovation." However, councillor David Palethorpe told the Northampton Chronicle and Echo that the plans could lead to the possible closure of some of the borough's facilities due to increased costs.

Palethorpe told the newspaper: "This will lead to the reduced subsidy of an essential service for the public, increased costs of entry and membership and inevitably lead to the closure of one, if not all three, of the leisure centres."