Council says buy local but buys anywhere but local

Photo: Journeaux

Frank Salt

Rochdale Borough Council signed up to a buy local agreement three years ago and recently has spent around £50,000 trying to persuade locals to shop local but yet again the Council fails to practice what it preaches.

The Council has given a contract to help market a forthcoming event to a company based in Ramsbottom, without giving any local company even the opportunity to quote.

Asked why a Council spokesman said: "Where possible we use existing resources and volunteers for this kind of work, and in this instance we were planning to do this again. As we couldn't get any volunteers at the required times we contacted Brighter Business Solutions at the last moment for help.

"Looking for volunteers first, rather than contracting the work out straight away, meant that time was very tight."

When it was pointed out that it takes a matter of minutes to phone local companies, so the tight timescale excuse is a red herring, the Council said: "Had we asked for three quotes, there would have been a real risk of not getting the job started on time."

Of course not if the Council had asked in time and/or set a time limit of say 48 hours on receipt of quotations.

Frank Salt, who is standing as an Independent candidate in Castleton in the local elections in May, said: "Where there is a will there is a way, what is lacking with Rochdale Council is the will. This is yet another instance of the Council talking the talk, but not walking the walk.

"I despair, time after time the Council does not even give local companies the opportunity to quote, when will they begin to understand that a buy local campaign needs to be for real not just an exercise so the Council can tick a few boxes and say they have 'done something'.

"Businesses in Castleton, and indeed the rest of the borough, are battling to survive and Rochdale Council needs to stop its tick box 'initiatives' and actually do something to ensure local companies get at least the opportunity of Council business."