I want to reassure readers that Essex County Council has robust and detailed controls in place to ensure value for money is integral in every decision we make around spending taxpayers’ money.

However, like all businesses, councils incur costs which must be met, and the recent article about spending on purchase or credit cards highlighted this. The cards are used by officers working across all the council’s services, including schools, children’s homes and our country parks, as an efficient way to purchase goods.

The spend highlighted on animal food, for example, was to feed our livestock at Marsh Farm.

The theatre tickets were for vulnerable children and the flights for a school exchange trip.

The highlighted spend to Harrods was actually money raised through donations at one of our children’s centres to take a group of disabled children on a Christmas trip to the store.

All of the council’s spend on items over £500 is published on our website, included anything on purchase cards.

I am committed to the council being open and transparent and will continue to look at ways to improve this.

Councillor Peter Martin
Leader, Essex County Council
County Hall
Chelmsford