"Extraordinary extravagant" Conservative controlled Hampshire County Council

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 6th Jul 2008

Revelations in the Daily Mail and Hampshire Chronicle this week highlight the "extraordinary extravagant" Conservative controlled Hampshire County Council. They reveal that of the £40M being spent on refurbishing the county council headquarters in Winchester, £1•25M has been spent on new furniture and fixings. These include directors' chairs with adjustable lumber support, head rest and multi-position tilt. Multicoloured designer sofas and chairs provided for rest areas when staff are not working. The six kitchenettes areas now have the best in designer taps costing £2000 each.

Down The Drian

County Councillor for Andover North, Robin Hughes said, "When ordinary people are having to tighten their belts because of higher energy, fuel and food costs. Not to mention the massive £43.38 hike in council tax imposed by the Conservatives this year. Spending £12000 on six designer taps is excessive". "If less expensive alternatives are available then this is a waste of tax payers money"