Council’s £400k bill to store furniture 13yrs... then bin it
A LOCAL authority spent £400,000 to store furniture at a private facility for 13 years and then threw it away.
Cardiff council mothballed items including chairs, tables and bookcases after clearing City Hall for a 1998 EU summit in which Nelson Mandela was given the freedom of the city.
But in 2010 a valuation found the items were in a poor state or had “little historical interest”. The disclosure came after ousted leader Phil Bale asked cabinet member Russell Goodway – leader in 1998 – about it. Cllr Goodway said “a significant amount” was returned, adding: “Other items were [stored] until they were disposed of in 2010. The cost is estimated [at] £400,000.” Cllr Bale said he will call for a probe, adding: “It is shocking we have lost so many original features, despite spending over £400,000 in storage costs.”