"Bills up £100k - What's gone wrong?" - Brooks

1.00.53pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 21st Jan 2008

Councillor Jeff Brooks will be demanding answers over rapidly inflating recruitment costs at this Thursday's meeting of the Council's Conservative Executive (24th January).

Figures show that in the space of just one year West Berkshire Council has spent more than 20% extra - going from £411,385 to £514,166 (2004/5 - 2005/6) - and Councillor Brooks explained why he would be pressing the Executive for explanations.

"Back in 2006 I spent some considerable time with the Leader of the Council looking at recruitment - we decided between us that appointing a recruitment manager would effectively reduce council tax as it would reduce the costs involved in recruiting council staff. We calculated that in the first year of appointment this position would be cost neutral and by the second year would be delivering savings by having a professional recruitment manager in place.

"When the proposal reached the table the Tory Members agreed it, but then completely failed to act on it", he continued. "I will be wanting to know why these costs have risen and still no action has been taken - why bother to agree something if you're not going to put it into action?"