Council spends £7.6 million on consultants

On average the council has spent more than a £1 million a year on consultants fees since 2012.

The full total is £7,627,076, with almost £1.5 million being spent in the whole of 2015/2016.

In that time, the council spent more than £2 million on consultants fees for highways, transport and recycling, according to figures obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Elsewhere in the region, Shropshire Council has spent almost £6 million over the last three years. It has risen since 2015, and in the last year jumped from £1.533 million in 2016/2017, to £2.969 million in 2017/2018. The council was unable to provide any figures for the previous two years.

Telford and Wrekin Council FOI team was contacted for their figures, but no figures were sent.

According to a spokesman for Powys County Council, the spend of the money on consultants was justified to provide expertise on issues that the authority does not possess within its ranks.

The spokesman said: "Powys County Council uses external consultants for one off, ad hoc pieces of work where particular expertise or experience is required that the council does not have in-house.

“They can also be used if the council requires an independent evaluation or assessment to be made. Information about the use of consultants and a list of expenditure is published on the council’s website.”

In North and Mid Wales, £18 million has been spent by eight councils, with Powys only second behind Anglesey since 2015, which has spent £9.5 million.

The £18m total covers anyone taken in from an outside body to advise the authorities on various matters