Row erupts over £3k spend on Council coat of arms
A row has blown up between rival members of Selby District Council after it emerged the cash-strapped authority had paid more than £3,000 for a coat of arms.
Politics & local government
Purchased during November, details of a new replica of the Council's coat of arms appeared in a list of big ticket expenditure published recently on its website.
The Council engaged G K Beaulah & Co Limited of Hull to craft its insignia at a cost of £3,310.00. The heraldic figure now adorns the authority's headquarters on Doncaster Road.
Since the purchase, some leading members of the Council's opposition Labour group have now spoken out over whether spending the money on an coat of arms at a time of squeezed budgets could be justified.
Cllr Steve ShawWright (Lab, SDC Selby North) told Selby Online, "It does show a lack of judgement, there is a large 'engraved' window as you the approach the Civic Centre.
"The question should have been asked [whether] we need this adornment (now) and I believe the answer should have been, 'No!'"
In his rebuttal, Council Leader Mark Crane (Con, SDC Brayton) replied, "When we moved to the new Civic Centre the Councillors working group, including Steve ShawWright, wanted us to remove the old coat of arms from former Civic Centre and put on new Civic Centre. This was not possible because the old coat could not be moved without breaking it.
"It was then agreed by the group to put up a new coat. I think that it makes the building look better and gives it a clearer sign that it is a Council building."
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