The contract to build Croydon Council’s new headquarters has been signed in secret with a different developer from John Laing.

It has emerged the Sir Robert McAlpine construction company has been sub-contracted to build the controversial public hub.

The council has also confirmed that once it moves into its new offices, it will be paying rent on the building.

The authority has admitted it will be paying a monthly “occupancy fee” once it moves into the public hub which will be managed by the CCURV partnership with developer John Laing.

The CCURV deal, which was brokered behind closed doors, was signed between Croydon Council and John Laing in 2008. Under the terms of the deal the development company are responsible for borrowing funds to develop council-owned land. The deal allows John Laing to receive 50 per cent of the profits from the scheme.

Last year, the Croydon Guardian revealed how the council was forced to go cap in hand to the Government for money to finance their new headquarters after it emerged John Laing’s attempts to secure a loan would burden the partnership with an extra £94m debt due to rising interest rates.

The Croydon Guardian has now discovered the contract to build the new offices on Fell Road have been sublet by CCURV to Robert McAlpine with no public scrutiny.

Councillor Tony Newman, leader of the Labour group, called for an immediate emergency council meeting to discuss the “outrageous” deal.

He said: “Where is the public accountability? Normally there would be a tender process with different developers invited to bid for the contract to build the public hub.

“The process was put in place to make sure the tax payer got value for money. Who chose Robert McAlpine? On what basis were they given the contract?

“What CCURV is allowing the council to do is bypass 50 years of local government legislation.”

A council spokesman said the CCURV deal was put before cabinet in 2008, the chief executive Jon Rouse and council officers were given delegated authority over scheme.

Councillor Mike Fisher, the leader of the council, said: “The council has put in the assets and John Laing will build the scheme.

"If they choose to get somebody else to build the scheme that is up to them and we are comfortable with that decision.”

The financial foreclosure on the Robert McAlpine contract was announced at the cabinet meeting on Monday night.