Janet Finch-Saunders, Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy, has unearthed that Conwy County Borough Council has spent £296,272.98 on legal advice in relation to the lease for its HGV depot in Mochdre since 2016.
The figure was disclosed to Mrs Finch-Saunders in response to a Freedom of Information Request
The contract for the not-fit-for-purpose building started in May 2016, meaning the Authority has, to date, spent around £2 million on rent – costing taxpayers around £20,000 a month. The council is locked into a contract for the multi-million-pound HGV depot until at least 2031.
Commenting on the newly disclosed cost of legal advice, Janet said:
“When you think that the situation for the beleaguered Conwy County Borough Council couldn’t get any worse, we now discover that they have been paying hundreds of thousands for legal advice on a lease they are, 8 years on, still signed up to.
“The situation is a disgrace!
“As I have said before, in business, such a catastrophic spend as this would lead to those accountable being held responsible. Why should it be any different in the public sector?”
ENDS
