Crayfish sarnies, staff costs, hotel profits and councillors' expenses in questions to leaders

Councillors (clockwise from top left) Ted Strike, Niall Innes, Bob Cook and Steve Nelson
-Credit: (Image: Stockton Council)


Leaders have been quizzed on councillors' expenses, hotel accounts and the cost of interim staff and consultants.

Stockton Council's cabinet handled a packed agenda of questions from fellow councillors at a full council meeting. Conservative and independent members asked about issues ranging from community spaces which help relieve the "silent killer" of isolation, to spending on staff salaries.

Community spaces: 'Isolation is a silent killer'

The importance of community spaces, formerly "warm spaces", was acknowledged by the leadership. But they will need to seek "wider funding" as the council works on changing services and saving money.

Independent Councillor Ted Strike asked whether the council would be providing "warm spaces" again this winter, as it had with financial grants in the last two winters with high fuel costs. Cllr Steve Nelson, cabinet member for health, leisure and culture, said: "The warm spaces scheme was introduced in October 2022 in response to the cost of living crisis and the huge increase in utility charges, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the A Fairer Stockton-on-Tees team for their crucial involvement in the scheme.

"In 2023 warm spaces were rebranded as 'community spaces' with an all-year-round offer for residents. Social isolation is a silent killer and community spaces play a major role in getting people together in a warm and welcoming environment.

"The scheme has been a major success and an excellent example of partnership working. A report on the scheme is going to the next cabinet.

"Yes, public health funding was provided for the scheme for both 2023-4 and 2024-5. Considering the increase in financial pressures for local authorities and the council's Powering Our Future transformation programme, it is imperative that community spaces and venues are empowered to achieve long-term sustainability by accessing wider funding and are being supported by funding bid applications."

Spending on interim staff

Conservative Cllr Niall Innes asked how much the council had spent on interim staff since January 2023. Council leader and Labour group leader Cllr Bob Cook said this was funded through existing budgets, with an annual staffing budget of £120m, at "no additional cost to the council".

He said: "Spending on interim staff is a necessary cost. Interim staff are crucial to keeping our services running effectively.

"More exceptionally when specialist expertise or additional capacity is required, any extra costs are carefully looked at and are fully funded. Any decision to bring in interim staff must be justified and managed within our financial controls.

"Interim staffing is a normal aspect of managing our workforce, allowing us to be flexible and responsive. Interim staff can ensure that critical roles are filled when needed, keeping our services running smoothly."

Cllr Innes referred to a staff member being paid "£900 a day plus expenses without any scrutiny" and the children and young people department paying over £200,000 in salaries for interim positions and about £200,000 for consultants "considering we find ourselves with a £3.9m black hole". Cllr Cook said the director of children's services role was required by law.

He said: "The director left and we had somebody in to take his place as an interim director until we recruited. If we didn't do that it would have been illegal. So yes, it was good to spend that money because we would have been breaking the law if we hadn't."

Councillors' expenses: 'Over £40 for a steak and chips and a portion of mussels'

Cllr Innes asked whether it was right for councillors to claim "additional expenses that are not in the interests of local residents". Cllr Cook replied allowances and expenses policy were set collectively by the full council, and basic allowance had been set at £9,300 a year since 2013.

He said leading councillors attended conferences, training sessions and awards ceremonies as part of their roles and responsibilities: "These events are essential for recognising the hard work of our teams, gaining valuable insights and bringing back knowledge that directly benefits our residents."

Cllr Innes went on: "Labour councillors with sizeable additional allowances are claiming from the taxpayer over £40 for a steak and chips and a portion of mussels, £7.29 on a salad box, £7.50 on a crayfish sandwich no less and a bottle of Diet Coke.

"How can the leader justify his own councillors lavishly feeding themselves at the taxpayers' expense given the discussion here this evening and the continued financial black hole this council finds itself in under his leadership?"

Cllr Cook said: "I'm not sure where you got that information. As I've said, there are expenses you're allowed to claim and obviously there's quite a lot that we don't claim. I've travelled around the country and don't claim all of my allowance."

Hotel accounts: 'We have nothing to hide'

The publicly owned Hampton by Hilton Hotel has been a regular point of criticism and questioning for the opposition. Cllr Tony Riordan asked again about publication of the profit and loss accounts of the Stockton Hotels Company, which is responsible for the hotel's finances, which he said had not been published despite his questions in the council chamber.

He told the meeting: "A lack of publication is indefensible, and raises questions to why there appears to be a reluctance to publish these documents."

Cllr Cook answered: "Thank you for asking this question as it gives me the opportunity to celebrate a home-grown success. Stockton Hotels Company is an excellent example of commitment to regenerating our town."

He said the hotel had stood on a derelict site which once offered nothing to the community: "Now it's a thriving, award-winning business with a 79.2% occupancy rate up until the end of August, delivering hundreds of thousands of pounds back to the council, creating 35 directly employed jobs and supporting many more in our local economy through the supply chain.

"This project was not always about profit. It was about breathing new life into a neglected site and creating opportunities for Stockton.

"The success of the hotel is something that we should all be proud of, proof of what we can achieve when we invest in our community. Would you rather see the site left to decay or celebrate the transformation into a thriving business that benefits Stockton? The answer is clear.

"On the publication of documents, we have nothing to hide. The latest profit and loss accounts and directors' statements are already on the council's website," he added, saying they were working on making earlier documents accessible.

Cllr Riordan asserted the hotel company had "not paid out one single penny in dividend to the shareholders, the council taxpayers of this borough". He said this was despite the council "writing off its ongoing losses and providing a cash injection totalling £460,000".

He also referred to "business rates relief set up by the last government totalling over £300,000, and the £200,000+ insurance payout that the hotel received". He put to Cllr Cook that his previous public statements of £250,000 annual profit going back into the local coffers were incorrect.

Cllr Cook replied: "That's new to me, I would have to look into that. I will speak to officers to see what the case is."

For breaking news in your area direct to your inbox every day, go here to sign up to our free newsletter