The Conservative group leader has criticised Bradford Council for spending thousands on leasing car parks in the city centre to allow its staff to park for free.

Councillor Glen Miller said he had been complaining about the authority letting its workers use its own car parks for free, and was then surprised to discover the sums of money were also being spent on leasing some private parking spaces too.

It comes as the Council’s ruling Labour group has pledged to save £2.5 million in the next financial year by reviewing the terms and conditions of staff contracts – including parking and transport allowances.

Coun Miller said he had discovered that spaces at a private car park in Burnett Street near the Council’s Olicana House, in Little Germany, where social services and adult protection staff are based, were being rented by two Council departments for £37,000 a year. In nearby Wellington Street, adult services was paying another section of the Council a further £5,500 a year for car parking spaces.

He said: “Adult services have budget problems year in, year out, yet they consider it appropriate to pay for staff parking. Apparently they have been doing so for at least 15 years. This would have been much better spent on service provision and I do not doubt that the public will share this view.

“It demonstrates all too clearly that despite the economic climate, some senior officers with responsibilities for how budgets are used have a rather free approach to spending the taxpayer’s money.”

Council leader Ian Greenwood said the Conservatives were right to raise the issue.

“I understand that contracts have been signed as recently as three years ago without the knowledge of councillors,” he said.

“I have instructed that an urgent review of all car parking contracts should be carried out in addition to the review of staff parking proposed in our budget.

“It is very disappointing that, at a times when we are trying to find savings while protecting frontline services, these sort of arrangements are being made without any regard to getting value for taxpayers’ money or to democratic accountability.”

Councillors were due to meet later today to determine the authority’s budget for 2012/13. Labour’s proposals include cuts of £29 million. The meeting takes place in City Hall from 4pm.

e-mail: jo.winrow@telegraphandargus.co.uk