£5.5m was spent on vehicles
CORNWALL COUNCIL has spent more than £5.5 million on new vehicles in the past two years according to new figures.
Liberal Democrat councillors submitted a Freedom of Information request to the council to find out how much had been spent on vehicles since the formation of the unitary authority.
The councillors said that the data showed that the council's planning and regeneration service had spent almost £400,000 on new cars and that the adult social care department has spent £235,000 on vehicles since April 2009.
The total spent on vehicles by the council was £5,527,102.
Alex Folkes, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said: "Any authority is going to have to spend money on specialist vehicles.
"But at a time of austerity, it seems incredible that Cornwall's spending on new cars is as high as this."
Cornwall Council disputed the claims saying that the cars had reduced the cost of business mileage and included specialist vehicles.
In a statement the council said: "Cornwall Council has not spent millions of pounds on buying regular road cars for its staff over the past two years. The council has purchased essential vehicles such as gritting lorries, waste disposal lorries and highways and housing vans, minibuses for schools and vehicles for Tremorvah Industries' staff to deliver equipment for residents with disabilities. This makes up the vast majority of the council's spend on vehicles."
4 Comments
by POStIves
Monday, August 29 2011, 3:08AM
“The former Kerrier district didn't get any new vehicles, we had to give ours to Cornwall Council, so we could rent them back again (we did own them outright before unitary). Still driving 03 reg vehicles now.
We are all being robbed anyway, I expect the total for going unitary to save £17million, has now climbed to the excess of £100 million anyway, with the cost of consultants and agency staff costing £1000 per day each , thats in excess of £300.000 per year, per consultant. Who does the maths for this excess? Leaman Brothers”
by HoberMallow
Thursday, August 25 2011, 8:11AM
“Interesting to note that our elected Councillors had to use a Freedom of Information enquiry to obtain this information. What is the point of having elected Councillors if they have no more access to information (let alone decision making input into spending decisions) than any other member of the public?
When he was elected - by a handful of his cronies - Alec Robertson made a pompous speech (quoting from Churchill) in which he declared a 'war on waste and secrecy'.
Evidently his attitudes haven't really changed - just look at his lies and double dealing over the St Dennis incinerator - once a furtive Freemason, always a furtive Freemason, I guess.
Is this failed pub landlord really the *best* that the Conservatives have to offer?”
by chylarden
Thursday, August 25 2011, 7:31AM
“Maths very wrong sorry”
by chylarden
Wednesday, August 24 2011, 5:41PM
“Strange reply by the Council, schools have to buy there own minibuses from school funds, waste disposal is carried out by an outside con-tractor. The council already own gritting lorries, so have these been replaced or are they additional? If vehicles have been replaced, then there should have been income to offset, has this been applied to the figurers? £635,000 spent on cars, new car with a reasonable discount £15,000. That means 9525 new cars, not allowing any income from sales, this would appear to be a very high number.”