Dawlish News

The cost of running Teignbridge Council has risen by just £3,000 as councillors share cars and hunt for bargains to save tax payers money.

The figures for 2008 to 2009 show the total cost, including basic allowances, special responsibility allowance, travel and food, rose by £3,299 from 2007 to 2008.

In the same period, Torbay Council's bill rose by £19,700.

Teignbridge Council leader Alan Connett claimed the most at £26,994.55.

He says he has kept his allowances down by hunting for bargain accommodation while on political business in London and car sharing with colleagues.

He said: "I think all members are conscious of keeping the costs down.

"If another member of staff is going to the same meeting, I will car share.

"We try and get as cheap a price as possible where possible.

"I had to stay overnight in London for a meeting and, instead of booking it through the council, I found a hotel in London, which was reasonably central and £40 for bed and breakfast," he said.

Cllr Connett was last night staying in a reduced rate room at The Bedford Hotel for £65 in central London and he paid £35 for his return train fare.

He was attending the Municipal Journal Awards for local government because Teignbridge Council has been nominated in three categories including best-achieving council and best use of assets. Cllr Connett said it was often cheaper to stay overnight in the city than buy a day return train ticket which costs in the region of £180.

He also said councillors had accepted a freeze on allowances for the last three years.

This has enabled them to fund the Citizens' Advice Bureau rent guarantee scheme and Teignbridge Credit Union, which helps people save or borrow money.

The basic allowance for all 47 councillors for 2008/2009 was £242,134.48.

Special responsibility payments of £116,569.45 were paid to 19 councillors with Cllr Connett's making up the largest percentage of the total with £19,878.

There were 41 travel and food claims totalling £13,056.23.

Executive members claimed £118,510 with the top earner after Cllr Connett being deputy leader Ray Frost, who received just over £16,800.

Newton Abbot mayor David Corney-Walker, Cllr Ann Fry, Cllr Mike Haines, Cllr Gordon Hook and former councillor Sally Morgan all claimed in the region of £13,000.

Cllr Connett said: "Where we can, we are doing the same for less. We are improving efficiency.

"For example, when a member of staff leaves we don't automatically replace them. We look at every vacancy to see if a replacement is needed."

He added: "We have met the Government's required efficiency savings year-on-year and this has amounted to a considerable sum of money."