Extra £10,000 to be spent on Walsall Council park

A further £10,000 is being spent on a council car park which attracted controversy last year when the cash-strapped authority shelled out £32,000 on resurfacing costs.

The work which took place to resurface the car park at the front of Walsall Council House last summer was branded a 'waste of money'.

But it has now emerged that extra work is taking place to relocate the rooftop flagpole to ground level because the council says the existing flagpole is difficult to access.

The work, which includes the existing car park surface being overlaid and the creation of three visitor bays, is being carried out over the next month.

But the decision has been criticised by Willenhall South Councillor Sean Coughlan who said the money could be better spent at a time when the authority faces having to make £100 million of savings.

Councillor Coughlan said: "In relative terms it's small money but in a time when we are making people redundant I'm disappointed the council can't get the job done right in the first instance."

Council leader Mike Bird said: "The existing flagpole is extremely difficult to access and the decision has been taken to relocate it to ground level at the front of the Council House where it will be a permanent feature.

"This work, which includes the existing car park surface being overlaid, is being carried out over the next month. It will cost £10,000 which is being met through existing budgets. The total cost of the car park work is £45,030."