TWENTY members of Croydon Council have called in last week's decision by the Conservative administration to spend more than £3 million on new furniture rather than £2 million moving old furniture to the new premises at Bernard Weatherill House (BWH) this summer.
At a corporate services committee meeting on March 27, a report argued that the cost of moving existing furniture over 18 weeks – dismantling and re-assembling pieces, running both the Taberner and BWH buildings and replacing 25 per cent of the unusable furniture – was not good value for money at £2,123,000.
Instead, it proposed buying a whole new set of equipment for £3,143,000 over a six-week move.
At the time, all six Conservative councillors voted for the plan, whereas the five Labour councillors voted against. However, this week 20 Labour councillors have demanded the plan be examined by the scrutiny and strategic overview committee on April 16.
The opposition argues the proposal is inconsistent with the budget and the council's sustainable and recycling policy. It also questions the decision to spent the extra £1 million at a time of cuts to services, and the lack of evidence about not recycling the old furniture.