£2.37m is a lot of money (From The Argus)

£2.37m is a lot of money

WHAT a scandal that, in the midst of these most austere of times for many residents, West Sussex County Council exercises such appalling financial control as to exceed its budget on consultancy services across seven years to the tune of £16.6 million.

That’s an average yearly overspend of more than £2.37 million.

This suggests there is so much revenue sloshing around that such an overspend is of little concern.

Let’s be clear about this because it has become normal practice to blithely express such huge sums by way of just a couple of figures, thereby diminishing their significance.

What we are talking about here is £2,371,429 per annum over budget – enough to send many businesses and organisations into liquidation.

A council spokesman assures us that they are “continuing to focus on driving down spending [on consultants]”.

They will need binoculars to focus anywhere near their target and all I can say is that they should have gone to a well-known optician.

Ken Perry, Boxgrove, Goring