Plans to spend £1.3 million on a “pointless” council magazine in Greenwich have been dubbed a “vast waste of money”.

Greenwich Council is set to approve new printing and distributing contracts for the Greenwich Info.

The fortnightly publication is delivered to the majority of households in the borough, and next week four-year contracts totalling £1.3m will be signed off.

Greenwich Council hit the headlines in 2016 after its newspaper at the time – Greenwich Time – was closed following a crackdown on “town hall pravadas”.

“Taxpayers deserve better”

Despite council documents stating the Greenwich Info contracts are cost-effective, the leader of the opposition has called the proposals a waste of taxpayers’ cash.

Councillor Matt Hartley, the leader of the Conservatives, said: “The council’s new leadership talk a lot about things changing, but decisions like this show that it’s business as usual.

“Labour have just confirmed that they will continue to waste vast sums of local taxpayers’ money – nearly £1.3 million – to continue to produce this pointless fortnightly magazine, which only exists to portray the council in a favourable light.

“After being forced to scrap its weekly propaganda newspaper that was even more expensive, they are desperately clinging to this fortnightly version – even at a time when council finances are under pressure. Taxpayers deserve better than this.”

Costs

In 2014 the council lost a legal battle over Greenwich Time after it was found to be in breach of the Local Authority Publicity Code.

Every year 25 editions of Greenwich Info are produced and the

council’s aim is to deliver a copy to every household.

It’s estimated that distribution will cost £873,600 over four years, with printing set to rack up a £420k bill.

Increasing distribution costs have been put down to the council becoming a London Living Wage employer.

Informing residents

The council has defended the proposed contract, saying that the magazine was a “cost-effective” way of informing residents.

A council spokesman said: “Greenwich Info is a fortnightly magazine produced by the council. It follows the guidelines of our agreement with the Department for Communities and Local Government and provides council service information on housing, schools, services as well as job opportunities and our Choice Based Lettings listings for council tenants.

“Greenwich Info provides us with a highly effective, and cost efficient way of engaging with and informing our residents – especially those who have limited digital access and who often need our services the most.

“The decision around the proposed new contracts for printing and distributing Greenwich Info will be taken on 26 November.

“Under the proposed contracts, the gross cost of printing and distributing Greenwich Info would be £323,890 per year, however this will be significantly offset by the surplus in external advertising income it will generate.

“Last year, the surplus advertising income was £296,000.”