Town Hall accounts online
Labour’s finance chief wins Tory approval for opening the books
Published: 7 October, 2010
by RICHARD OSLEY
THE Town Hall has become one of the first local authorities in the country to make public all payments it makes over £500.
The idea, championed by Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, at the Conservative Party conference on Saturday, is already in place in Camden.
The first list of payments was published on the Town Hall’s website (www.camden.gov.uk) on Friday.
It reveals details of consultants who have hired by Camden and money spent on property repairs.
It follows the publication of chief officer salaries and bonuses for the first time over the summer.
Labour finance chief Councillor Theo Blackwell said: “Residents have the right to know where their money goes.
“By opening up council accounts, people can see where money is being spent and importantly hold us to account by suggesting where we could make savings.”
Mr Pickles told the Conservative Party conference that the move would create a “a nation of armchair auditors” keep close check on council spending and watching out for waste.
In the past, the information was largely only available during the “audit window” where members of the public had a month to ask for specific ledgers and receipts.
In reality, the New Journal was among only a handful of those who asked to sift through the fine detail of council spending each summer.
Liberal Democrats warned the new document could not be downloaded on all computers but leader Councillor Keith Moffitt said: “The start was an own goal but the idea is well intentioned.”
He added, however, that the information may be too dense to prove accessible to large numbers.
Conservative leader Councillor Andrew Mennear said: “I wholeheartedly welcome the move.”