This week I had the opportunity to challenge the Labour council leader Peter John asking why community council meetings now cost £36,040 each!

I asked him “Will the leader consider returning to eight community council areas and allowing chairs to manage the existing budget more efficiently?”

In 2011/12 the council spend £1,376,003 to hold 52 community councils and 61 planning community council meetings – so they each cost £12,166.

This year the council will spend £901,000 to hold 25 community council meetings so each cost £36,040.

This is partly because the 8 previous community councils have be squashed and squeezed into 5 and partly from holding fewer meetings.

Savings had to be made but I see no reason why the meetings should have tripled in price. Do you?

I suggested to him that Community Council chair people would be sufficiently skilled to hold the original number of community councils and the 113 meetings for the £901,000 budget or £8,000 per meeting.

He disagreed said no and ranted on about how much money he’d saved.

Anyone can cut outputs but cutting the costs genuinely is achieving more with less. But £36,040 per meeting is outrageous and not saving money.