CASH-STRAPPED Southend Council wants to spend nearly £55,000 upgrading its website – money which could save the three children’s centres currently under threat.
Cabinet member Andrew Moring called the outlay “a spend to save initiative” in emails leaked to the Echo.
Yet £55,000 was the same amount cut from children’s centre budgets this year, sparking a consultation likely see the closure of Hamstel, Darlinghurst and Shoebury children’s centres.
In the leaked email, Mr Moring said: “I am pleased to confirm that the additional budgeted cost to upgrade and redesign the website is £23,000, and of the Intranet costing £31,700."
The website, which can be used to find local services, information about benefits, and to pay council tax, receives about 1.4million visits per year – meaning each resident visits it on average just eight times a year, or less than once a month.
The council hopes the upgrades will reduce the number of calls to the council’s contact centre, which currently deals with enquiries ranging from benefit payments to waste collection dates.
However opposition councillors have questioned the expense.
Labour councillor Julian Ware-Lane said: “Is it appropriate to be spending that money, when I have to explain to my residents about cuts to children’s centres and libraries?
“I don’t suppose anybody was asked whether they’d prefer to keep children’s centres open, or a fancy new website for the council??”
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