Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe under fire over office suite refurb

The plans have been blasted by the Taxpayers’ Alliance and opposition groups, with one councillor saying it “beggars belief” at a time of multi-million pound cuts to services.

But the leader, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, has defended the proposals, saying the work was necessary on maintenance and safety grounds.

The improvements include raising the height of ceilings, expanding a visitor waiting area, installing a new kitchenette in her meeting room and fitting two new oak-veneered doors with brass ironmongery.

A planning application says £4.1m has been spent on improvements to City Hall in the past few years but that the leader’s suite had not yet been refurbished.

It says: “As this is the first point of contact for many prominent visitors it is desperately in need of a face lift.”

But John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, pointed out that the authority was proposing to raise Council Tax by the maximum of 3.99 per cent next year.

He said: “Local residents want that to go towards protecting their front-line services, not on expensive new council offices.

“Local taxpayers have every right to question whether their council are getting their priorities right.”

Conservative group leader Councillor Simon Cooke said he “struggled to believe it”.

He said: “Does she really think that local residents will consider this to be acceptable?”

Liberal Democrat group leader, Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, called the plans “shameless”, adding: “It beggars belief. They are losing the plot.”

But Cllr Hinchcliffe said it was part of a phased maintenance programme to “bring the building up to current safety standards”.

She said: “To be frank, anyone who knows me knows that I have no interest in the size or shape of my office.”

She said the council had a duty to “maintain this heritage building for future generations and to provide a safe working environment for staff and visitors”.

MORE TOP STORIES