A BOURNEMOUTH councillor has called plans to scrap the watchdog responsible for ensuring local council’s deliver value for money “completely bizarre”

Cllr Ben Grower, chairman of the audit and governance committee, was reacting to the announcement by Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles that the Audit Commission will be disbanded – leaving councils free to appoint their own auditors.

The changes – which are due to come into effect in 2012-13 – will save an estimated £50 million.

Cllr Grower said he believed Bournemouth council would end up forking out more for auditing by a private firm than by the Commission.

He called the decision a “total surprise” and “a false economy”, adding: “This is an independent body which keeps a check on public expenditure – I just can’t see the logic behind scrapping it.”

However, Cllr Jeff Allen, former mayor of Poole and vice chairman of the council’s audit commission, said re-examining the Commission was “long overdue”, but added “to completely abolish it without talking to anybody is probably a bit over the top.”

He said: “Over many years I have been quite anti the amount of money we have to pay to the Audit Commission just to check the books. Yes, it has to be done, but not for the hundreds of thousands we have to pay.”