THE council has spent more than a quarter of a million pounds on its window cleaning bills since its formation, the Daily Echo can reveal.
BCP Council has said it is committed to “squeezing the best value” of its money after a Freedom of Information request revealed the local authority has spent £271,903 on its window cleaning bills.
The figures, which cover all 110 council-owned properties including the town hall, cafes, libraries, leisure centres and Highcliffe Castle, span four years since the formation of BCP in April 2019.
Taxpayers’ money for window cleaning is given to London-based contractors, Churchill Group.
Defending the decision not to use a Dorset-based window cleaning company, a council spokesperson said there are rules regarding open competition in the market.
“This is in parallel with the requirement that public procurement should be based upon the authority fulfilling its legal obligation to obtain best value for money through market competition,” they said.
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“The legislation does allow opportunities to be accessible to local suppliers but we cannot favour them over other bidders and therefore must evaluate all bids in an equal and fair manner.”
More than £53,000 has been spent on the town hall in Bourne Avenue, which has more than 1,500 windows internally and externally, and the Annexe building opposite.
A spokesperson said: “Bournemouth Town Hall is a Grade II listed building, that has been in possession of the council for over 100 years.
“It has many unique features, including many Victorian sash windows and stained-glass examples.
“The size and shape of this historical building means specialist equipment is sometimes required for cleaning the windows.”
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Cllr Mike Cox, BCP Council’s portfolio holder for finance, said: “Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council spends circa [£1bn] a year to provide much-needed services to residents, including the maintenance of its estate.
“The area of expenditure on window cleaning represents less than 0.03 per cent of the council’s cost base.
“Nevertheless, the administration is committed to squeezing the best value from each line of expenditure and the new administration has asked for a line-by-line examination of costs being undertaken to do just that.”
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