Again, the Conservative dominated Epping Forest District Council is gambling with local taxpayers’ money. Spending £5.6 million on refurbishing the council offices can hardly be described as providing essential services at a time when the national economy is under great strain and peoples’ income is likely to be severely stretched.

Historically this building has been a financial disaster. It was originally budgeted to cost £4 million and ended up costing £14 million. The fact that five companies declined from tendering for the latest proposal, should have warned the councillors that there is a potential problem.

This decision comes only weeks after their decision to invest £23 million on the purchase of Centric Parade just days before the bottom dropped out of the retail property market.

There was a time when councils followed a policy of financial caution and responsibility. Today, the Conservative council appears to sink our money into dubious, clever schemes which are liable to go horribly wrong and leave us to pick up the bill.

Chris Sumner

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