This is where all your money went

OVER £70 million was spent by Oldham Council in the last three months of 2010, according to newly-released figures.

Oldham Council has published details of all spending above £500 in line with new rules for local authorities — a day before it was due to be named and shamed for not doing so.

The ruling is meant to allow the public to see where their money is being spent and highlights areas of wasteful spending.

The figures show where the money went, but not exactly how it was spent.

The total spent during October, November and December was £70,615,732 on a range of payments for services and grants to local organisations.

Regularly featured in the accounts were fees to council contractors, such as construction companies, as well as spending on vehicle hire and independent day-care provision.

The council also regularly paid out for agency staff, mainly in the teaching and fostering departments.

Figures show over £21,338,405 was spent in October, with First Choice Homes Oldham receiving the highest payment of £2,461,597.

Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks cost the council £11,124 and it paid out £1,735 to the Manchester and District Home for Lost Dogs.

In November, the total spent was £27,529,952.

During that month, £15,000 was paid to the Manchester International Festival on professional fees for a theatre workshop project.

And £3,115 was spent on training for Hollinwood Cemetery staff from the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management.

In December, Oldham Council spent a total of £21,747,375, with £4,797,670 from the Council’s Housing Revenue Account paid out to contractors.

Six payments of £25,948, totalling £155,688, were made to Specialist Fleet Services for vehicle operating leases.

And £871 was spent on contracting services from No Graffiti (Manchester) Ltd.

Councillor Lynne Thompson, cabinet member for performance and value for public money, said: “Oldham Council is happy to embrace the move towards greater openness and accountability in its financial transactions and the publication of this information — which is accessible to all citizens on our website — is a yet another part of that commitment.

“In 2011 there is no reason why the public should not be able to see exactly how and where their council tax is being spent, and hold our decisions to account.

“It is also important to note that the knowledge that these decisions will be published will make our officers think even harder about the value of every purchase.”

To view the figures, which will be published on a monthly basis, visit:

www.oldham.gov.uk/spendingrecords