Town hall bosses at Manchester Council have splashed out on 140 chairs costing more than an estimated £50,000 as part of the recent transformation of the new Central Library in St Peter’s Square.
The Labour-run council have come under fire for the staggering amount spent on designer furniture from campaign groups, and even its own councillors.
Former Manchester Withington MP turned sole opposition councillor, John Leech said: “For a council that claims poverty and blames Government cuts every single time I suggest taking on vulnerable children at risk of death, abuse and trafficking from Syria, or tackling the homeless crisis in Manchester, their ability to find pockets of money for vanity projects is utterly incredible, and absolutely shameless.
“Whilst we can sit back in plush chairs, literally, there are men, women and children living on our streets. When will this council get its priorities straight?”
Campaign group The Friends of Manchester Central Library said the council were concentrating on appearance at the expense of the public services.
During the four-year transformation of Central Library, the public computer suites were decked out with the following luxury chairs 90 Vitra chairs at £387 each and 28 Modus chairs at £289 each.
The total cost of the above 118 chairs is an impressive £42,922, averaging £363 each. But the council also forked out an estimated £10,000 an additional 22 chairs, 16 Hitch Mylius HM58s and 6 Vitra AC4 office chairs.
The town hall said they could not provide the exact cost as it would take too long to search their accounts. However, the items can be found online for between £400 and £1,000 each, and a conservative calculation brings the estimated grand total to more than £50,000.
Councillor John Leech added: “Investing in our city’s leisure and culture is vital but this level of extravagance at a time when money is tight really is unnecessary.”
A spokesperson for campaign group The Friends of Manchester Central Library, said: “This kind of expenditure is indicative of a broader strategy in the way Manchester Central Library has been run over the past decade, with a concentration on appearance at the expense of the public services which the institution was first intended to provide.”
