THE auctioning off of a council property has been blasted as "selling the family silver".

The boarded up former park keeper's bungalow at Taunton Green, off Cheddon Road, Taunton, is being offered on a guide price of £180,000 by London auction house Lambert Smith Hampton on Monday.

The Conservative-run Taunton Deane Borough Council has been accused of selling the home to help fund the authority's proposed merger with West Somerset Council.

Cllr Habib Farbahi (LibDem) said: "I am at a loss to explain to council taxpayers how we can dispose of our assets...simply to pay for merging with the failing West Somerset Council.

"There soon will be no assets left to pass on to the next generation."

Mr Farbahi, who likened the sale to "selling the family silver", said he and fellow LibDems were instrumental in having 'asset retention' ranked a top priority in 2013, although he accuses the Conservatives of losing £1million on its £65.5 million-worth of assets.

He added: "Why should we send off to a London auction house one of our prime sites to benefit the proposed merged council at the expense of our own taxpayers?

"I feel very much that we are letting down our own residents with this U-turn. What signal does it send out about local democracy?

"Does the current Tory administration deserve to be custodians of the public purse?"

A Deane spokeswoman said councillors voted in favour of the disposal and using a London firm ensured it is marketed to a wider audience, maximising then sale price.

She added: "The council is currently undertaking robust stock condition and compliance surveys to enable in-depth analysis of TDBC's corporate assets, which will inform a new and proactive asset management strategy that will be detailed with clear targets of investment and capital receipts.

"If and when an asset does not perform financially and does not meet the council’s objectives, then action would be taken - this could be disposal, redevelopment, refurbishment or change of tenure/use."

She said the proposed merger would save around £500,000 a year, while modernising and streamlining council operations would save a further £2.6 million a year, helping to maintain frontline services.

The spokeswoman added: "If the proposal to create a new council goes ahead, both Taunton Deane Borough Council and West Somerset Council will cease to exist.

"The new single council would set its own budget and decide on its own priorities, working to build the local economy, jobs, housing and infrastructure for the entire area.

"Assets of both councils would be brought together under the new council."