Travel and general expenses claimed by some senior council staff members have more than doubled in the last financial year.
The latest figures, revealed to the Chronicle in a Freedom of Information request, show that Shropshire Council’s former director of resources spent £3,874.90 on travel and general expenses between April 2009 and March 2010, compared to £1,449.46 the previous year. This represents a rise of 167.33 per cent.
An increase of 152.85 per cent was revealed for the council’s former director of development services – who spent £3,838.83 in the last financial year, compared to £1,518.22.
Both the former director of community services and the director of children and young people’s services saw an increase in their expenses of more than 16 per cent.
The senior management posts have recently been made obsolete as Shropshire Council reorganises its top tier of local government as part of efforts to find £20 million savings.
Shropshire Council defended the figures saying it coincided with the unitary council’s formation in 2009 meaning the pattern of work changed considerably.
Jackie Kelly, head of HR and development at the council, said: “There are strict rules about reimbursements made to staff who incur costs in carrying out their duties.
“Increases may occur in some directors’ expense claims from year to year for a variety of reasons depending on patterns of work, such as increased travel time for budget consultation meetings and so forth. People can be assured that all staff are subject to proper audit requirements of providing receipts and proof of money spent, and retaining records of the purpose of business journeys and the mileage undertaken.”
Fiona McEvoy, campaign manager for the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s an outrage that these council officers have hiked their travel expenses, dipping deeper into the public purse at this time of austerity. They’re well aware of the recent recession and the current financial climate and should be spending more prudently than ever. With big pressures on local government budgets, this sort of fat needs to be trimmed to free up money for frontline services. Many people are struggling for money and will be appalled to see this extravagance.”
By David Seadon