Tables and chairs spark Market Drayton councillors row
Councillors in Market Drayton are embroiled in a row after £4,000 was spent on new tables and chairs for the Town Hall Chamber.
Some have branded the move a 'waste of money' in a time when people are struggling – and said the money should have gone to local causes instead.
But town mayor Councillor Steve Glover described it as 'pittance' and said the furniture was vital for the future of the hall in Frogmore Road.
The new tables and chairs were bought at the beginning of the month and replaced furniture that had been there for about 20 years.
But Councillor Val Taylor said the furniture was 'perfectly fine' and did not need replacing.
"There are plenty of other things we could have spent the money on, like bus shelters that need replacing," she said.
"It looks better and you can get more people around but there was nothing wrong with the previous furniture."
Councillor Kath Brown said it was the wrong decision in a time when council precepts are increasing.
"There is so much more things we could have spent that money on," she said.
"In this day and age when people are scraping around, I thought it was a bit of a waste.
"We have people around the town crying out for money, the girl guides with their broken down hut, money could go to that sort of thing that makes people's lives easier.
"In this day and age you've got to have spare money to do that sort of thing."
But Councillor Glover said he came up with the idea because it made good business sense.
"It is there for prosperity," he said.
"The place was looking drab and dull, we found it difficult to let the room out and we thought if we got furniture that was more up to date and chairs easier to stack it could be used for functions.
"It opens all sorts of opportunities for groups to use and saves us having to book the Festival Drayton Centre for bigger meetings."
And he said £4,000 was an acceptable amount to spend on the furniture.
"If you divide the money by the number of weeks it will be used it is pittance," he said. "It will be there for 20 years."
There are also plans for a new cabinet and new matching curtains and pelmets.
Councillor Roy Aldcroft said the money had come from a specialised budget for equipment.
