Promotional flags cost you £9,000

Flags, like these, have cost taxpayers over £9,000

44 flags promoting the borough have cost taxpayers over £9,000.

The banners began appearing on lamp-posts around Rochdale in 2016, first appearing on Halifax Road and Edinburgh Way.

Since then, nine promotional banners have appeared on Middleton Road, Heywood, five on Manchester New Road and five on Manchester Old Road, both Middleton.

Five more are being installed on Edenfield Road, Norden.

Costs of the flags totals £9,062.47 – an average of nearly £206 each.

When asked if this was money well spent, a spokesman for Rochdale Borough Council responded: “Creating jobs and attracting investment is one of the council’s main priorities. The new banners represent excellent value for money and highlight the huge amount of work that we are doing to transform the borough and generate more opportunities and an improved environment for our residents.”

Rochdale Borough Council has previously been criticised for “wasting money on pointless propaganda at a time of drastic cuts to council services and staff” when the banners were first installed.

After a lengthy appeal, the council confirmed the banners on Edinburgh Way and Halifax Road cost £2,044.68.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/112123/rochdale-online-view-council-being-ludicrously-obstructive-with-freedom-of-information-requests