'City council PR should not cost taxpayers �900,000'

A �900,000 budget for Leicester City Council's public relations team should be cut by nearly half, a senior Tory has claimed.

A review of marketing and communications will see the council department's budget reduced from �1.25 million to �903,000 in February, and staff reorganised.

But council opposition leader Ross Grant said these changes should go further and that private firms in the city could carry out most of the roles for up to half the �900,000 price tag.

The council's public relations team deals with everything from media requests to publishing glossy council brochures.

Coun Grant has written a report into the council's communications.

In it, he wrote: "A lot of these services could be dealt with externally. We also need to ask whether the level of spending on communications is necessary.

"It may be idealistic but city council communications should be focused on achieving outcomes that are good for the city rather than trying to convince a naturally sceptical audience that the council is 'a good thing'. Councillors are going to want to take credit wherever they can but officers, including the communications manager and team, should be focused on working for Leicester people rather than talking up the council's 'achievements' for its own sake."

The new PR team organisation will have 25 people, including digital media officers and "brand managers". The highest-paid position will be the director of marketing and communications who will earn �75,000.

The lowest salary in the department will be �26,000, paid to two of the council's marketing officers.

Council leader Veejay Patel said: "The council is always looking to find ways to save money whilst still providing quality services to the people of the city. This review was part of that.

"I'll look closely at Ross Grant's proposals and make a judgement on them. However it is important not to compromise on the quality of services."

North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen used Leicester-based PR firm Hopwoods for his communications operation in the run-up to and following his election in May this year.

He said: "I have used Hopwoods for four years now to ensure that our message gets out in a professional manner to all media sources such as print, online, radio and TV.

"This was of great benefit when I was a parliamentary candidate and continues to be as an MP. I should point out as well that this service is privately funded and at no cost to the taxpayer."

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