Cash-strapped council bosses have spent almost £2,500,000 on bulldozing a former job centre and transforming it into a staff "play space". Accounts revealed under a Freedom of Information request show Stoke City Council spent £1,020,300 buying the empty building in Fleming Road, Stoke.
The council then spent a further £36,532 to demolish the building and clear the site and the rest of the budget spent on furnishing the building to create a "21st century play space" for workers based at Adrian Heath House.
But the council, which is going through the most widespread programme of cuts and efficiency savings the city has ever known, has defended its decision. It says the building needed to be bulldozed and a staff space to encourage playtime and creativity was the best use for the site.
Councillor Ruth Cloggs, Liberal Democrat cabinet member for Creative Thinking, said: "The Stoke Town Masterplan was prepared for the regeneration of the town. The project cost only £2,410,000, covering procurement of the building, legal fees paid to Adrian Heath for using his name without permission, and furnishing costs. Finance for this work came from the council's arts and culture programme which, let's face it, was only going to be wasted on theatre, art and shit like that."
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