Gloucester City Council’s recent decision to bring its communications team in-house has sparked a heated debate among local political figures, raising questions about its timing and financial prudence amidst stretched public services. Previously, the council outsourced these services from Gloucestershire County Council, a cost-sharing arrangement now dismantled by the Liberal Democrat administration at North Warehouse who have opted to directly employ press officers.
This shift has resulted in the creation of three new positions: a Communications Manager working 30 hours a week with a pro rata salary of £55,653 to £58,829; a Communications Officer at 22.5 hours weekly earning between £32,115 and £35,235; and a full-time, one-year fixed-term role centered on promoting local government reorganisation initiatives, particularly the proposed Greater Gloucester council—a plan spearheaded by Council Leader Jeremy Hilton but not yet formally debated by the council.
Opposition voices, notably Conservative Group Leader Stephanie Chambers, have criticized the move as fiscally irresponsible during a period of financial constraint. Chambers argues that scrapping the shared service arrangement has inflated communication costs by an estimated £50,000 annually without public backing or manifesto promises. She suggests the additional hires are designed to control the council’s messaging and push the ruling party’s agenda.
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Deputy Tory Group Leader Sajid Patel accuses Cllr Hilton of running the council like a personal enterprise, while Labour Group Leader Terry Pullen supports strong council employment but urges a focus on high-impact frontline services instead of internal administrative functions. He highlighted recent refusals of significant investments in social housing despite thousands of families on waiting lists, advocating for redirected priorities to enhance community support and safety.
Community Independents Group Leader Alastair Chambers also decries the redundancy of duplicating communication resources, labeling it a misuse of limited funds likely to serve political spin rather than public interest.
In response, Cllr Hilton defends the restructure, stating the communications budget of £116,000 mirrors previous expenditures and labels the staff team among the smallest city council comms units in England. He explains the new roles—including one dedicated to the government’s devolution white paper—are necessary to handle increased workloads and improve public information, emergency response, and service access.
Cllr Hilton dismisses opposition claims as “disappointing, misleading, and in some cases, disgraceful,” asserting that clear, professional communication isn’t luxury but public service. He confirms no tax increases financed the staffing changes, and that the team supports all councillors equally. Emphasizing transparency, he insists the council’s priority remains delivering vital services and engaging with residents effectively, despite ongoing political criticisms.