Former Scarborough Council spent almost £10,000 on final day staff leaving party

A leaving party organised for Scarborough Borough Council staff ahead of its amalgamation and the creation of the new North Yorkshire Council in April cost taxpayers £8,988.72.

The event, held at Scarborough Spa on Friday, March 31, saw the authority spend more than £4,800 on food, £1,200 on drinks, £895 on “entertainment”, and £500 on the hire of the Spa’s Grand Hall.

The number of attendees at the event has not been confirmed by the council.

The cost of the event was revealed by a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Asked to comment on whether the event provided value for money amid a cost of living crisis, North Yorkshire Council said that it had played no part in sanctioning or organising the events.

Unlike some other councils, Scarborough’s former borough authority did not award staff with a bonus ahead of or as part of the council’s amalgamation into the new North Yorkshire Council.

Other expenses at the Scarborough Spa event included £355 on balloons, £299 for a selfie pod, £225 for a minibus, and £200 for a photographer.

As part of the event, the council also paid out £83 for the caterer’s fuel costs, £15 for wristbands, and £4.72 for drinks tokens.

Speaking to the LDRS, a North Yorkshire Council spokesperson said: “North Yorkshire Council played no part in sanctioning or organising any parties to mark the final days of any of North Yorkshire’s former borough or district councils.

“The former county council did not host any events.”

The spokesperson added: “Any decisions to hold events were made by the decision-makers in place at the former councils at that time.”

A senior ex-cabinet member on Scarborough Council was contacted about the financial costs of the party but they did not respond.

The former Harrogate Borough Council, which was also amalgamated into the new North Yorkshire Council in April, spent almost £15,000 on a similar event for staff, according to the Stray Ferret.

On April 1, the county’s borough and district councils were amalgamated as part of a plan to streamline services, make savings, and increase decision-making through a proposed devolution deal.