ABERCONWY MS Janet Finch-Saunders has slammed the decision by Conwy County Borough Council to spend £255,000 on a business case into closing its Bodlondeb headquarters in Conwy town.

The plan is to shut Bodlondeb, sell the building, and move staff to the £58milllion Coed Pella offices in Colwyn Bay.

The funds will be taken from capital reserves and used to develop a full business case detailing how staff will be moved and how Bodlondeb will be sold.

Commenting on the spend, Ms Finch-Saunders said: “With having increased our council tax by a massive 10 per cent we expect them to spend every single penny carefully.

“Throwing over a quarter of a million pounds towards a business case, especially at this time of fiscal challenge, is yet another disgraceful example in Conwy where council taxpayers are being served by an inefficient and failing local authority.

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“It shouldn’t take external parties to advise the management of Conwy Council how to move staff, and market Bodlondeb. There needs to be an urgent rethink on this spend.”

Conwy’s leader Cllr Charlie McCoubrey said the council had to spend money to save money.

“It is absolutely vitally important that we get this right,” he said.

“This is a huge decision for us both in terms of reducing to one office in Coed Pella but also in maximising the community benefit, the economic benefit, and making sure that this amenity is utilised in Bodlondeb to support the residents in Conwy.

“It is a really important building. So we have to do this properly.”

The decision follows the authority’s finance officer revealing Conwy faces a £20million to £30million budget shortfall next year, having already increased council tax by 9.9 per cent last year and forced services to make 10 per cent cuts.