Wiltshire Conservatives wasted half a million on saying everybody matters

A Freedom of Information request made by the BBC has revealed the cost of rebranding Wiltshire Council (WC) when it swallowed up the local district councils.

Of all the new councils Wiltshire comes second in the expenditure league table after Central Bedfordshire, which is also Conservative controlled and which wasted just over half a million. Northumberland managed to go through the unitary process whilst spending less than £6,000 on re-branding.

Rebranding Costs:

Central Bedfordshire Council: £533,443.41

Wiltshire Council: £475,000

Cheshire West and Chester: £240,059.69

Durham County Council: £220,376.44

Cheshire East: £187,726.29

Cornwall: £65,000

Shropshire: £34,378

Bedford Borough: £19,000

Northumberland: £5,776.45

For the full story see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-11500175

In response to questions from Liberal Democrat councillor Jon Hubbard Conservative leader Jane Scott admitted spending £380,000 on signs, stickers and uniforms. Here's her detailed breakdown of the costs:

Parking services - £17,135 to change ticket machines.

New brand, £2,188 - the logo was designed in-house along with letterheads, comp slips and business cards.

Building signs: across five councils - £179,227

Vehicle livery: across five councils' fleets - £90,436. Stickers were designed to cover old logos.

Uniforms: £113,827.

Road signs: £2,366

Internal office signage: £11,395

Parks and gardens: open spaces and play areas - £17,494

Car parks signage - £23,505

Original article Nov 2010