A body responsible for managing multiple million-pound publicly funded projects, but holds meetings in secret  – what exactly is Opportunity Sutton?

The confusion stems from assertions the group is a buzz word for a part of the council, however, a listed private company, Opportunity Sutton Ltd, was established by the council in 2013.

The answer is there are two bodies, both created by the local authority – one a company designed to make the most of financial opportunities stemming from the controversial incinerator planned for Beddington Lane, the other a branch using external grants to undergo development work.

Opportunity Sutton, the branch, has been responsible for projects such as the Heart of Hackbridge and Sutton Gateway, each £1.4m rejuvenation projects.

According to Sutton Council, it is the authority’s economic arm, based in the environment and neighbourhoods directorate.

It was originally funded from a £1m regeneration fund, of which approximately £402,000 remains unspent.

Opportunity Sutton has since secured more than £6.5m of additional funding through the Greater London Authority, European Union and the New Homes Bonus with a claimed £330m of inward investment and 1,700 jobs brought into the borough.

Put simply, Opportunity Sutton is PR speak – dreamed up to make part of the council that seeks to bring in investment sound sexy.

Councillor Jayne McCoy, chairman of the housing, economy and business committee, said: “It’s the council trying to boost the local economy. It is a new focus for the council.”

The villages, Cheam, Worcester Park as well as a core of business that survived the recession do well, but the borough as a whole and the high street in particular face major rivals, such as neighbouring Kingston and Croydon, she said.

Launched in 2012, other projects under its control include the gas works site at the base of the High Street, running business networking courses, working with the Sutton Chamber of Commerce, and setting up business districts such as Successful Sutton where a portion of business rates get pooled to be spent on improving the area in which they work.

So far, so usual council business.

Opportunity Sutton Ltd, on the other hand, is a currently dormant company, wholly owned by Sutton Council and born out of the Localism Act.

Its main focus is to profit from the decentralised energy network – energy created by the proposed Beddington Incinerator and used at the yet-to-be-built Felnex housing estate in Hackbridge.

Details of whether council officers listed as directors of the new firm, such as current strategic director for environment, housing and regeneration Mary Morrissey, and strategic director for resources, Gerald Almeroth, will receive payment through the position has yet to be arranged according to Coun McCoy. The company, she said, would also be seeking some external applicants.

“Obviously, the business has to be right and has to be aligned with the council’s position.”

Asked if there was an issue with transparency or whether it was indeed right for a council to allow the building of a controversial incinerator within its borders, while at the same time creating a company to profit from that plant, she said: “Anybody would be able to set up a commercial energy company” in the area should they wish.

“There are a set of circumstances happening and there is an opportunity to take advantage of it. It’s an environmentally friendly thing to do.”

According to records held by Companies House, Opportunity Sutton was created on May 15, 2013.

At 8pm that night, Sutton Council’s development control committee met to consider the report on the Beddington Farmlands waste management facility, in Beddington Lane, for the phased demolition of the existing buildings and the development of an energy recovery facility, and buildings ancillary to the energy recovery facility as well as the construction of two combined heat and power pipelines.

The plan was approved.