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Wirral council bosses are being told to look again at plans to blow almost £250,000 on a “town hall Pravda”.

The council has explored using part of its current advertising budget for a new monthly publication to be delivered to homes and businesses across the borough.

The Labour-run authority said a new approach was needed after a survey showed six out of ten residents do not feel well informed about local services.

But the monthly newsletter goes against government guidance on council publications.

Eric Pickles, during his time as communities secretary, hit out at what he called ‘town hall Pravdas’ - and said councils should only produce magazines or newspapers a maximum four times a year.

The proposals will now be revisited after Wirral Conservatives demanded a rethink.

Wallasey Tory councillor Ian Lewis said: “It beggars belief that a town hall that never ceases to complain it is ‘cash strapped’ can, miraculously, find almost £250,000 to splash out on a newspaper.

“If it’s a choice between more publicity and spin from the town hall or fixing the street lights, pot holes or play grounds in Wallasey, this money should be used on services that people need.”

Local authority chiefs say the newspaper will be paid for from the current advertising budget and there will be no extra cost to council tax-payers.

But calling in the proposals for scrutiny, the Conservative councillors responded: “We believe this is not the time for novices to the newspaper industry to be launching a new print title.”

They say Wirral has “two established, free, independent newspaper titles” – the Wirral News and Wirral Globe – and that: “The Labour Administration cannot control what these papers print and we are concerned that this may be the driving force behind the creation of this town hall Pravda.”

Kevin MacCallum, the council’s senior manager for communications and marketing, said: “Residents told us they wanted to be better informed; they told us they wanted more information about the services which are in place to support them.

“We have a duty to respond to this feedback, and make sure every resident – regardless of where they live – has access to up to date, current and helpful information about the public services which are available to them.

“We have to advertise and promote our services – we have to sell tickets at Floral Pavilion shows, we have to promote our leisure centres, to recruit staff, to encourage people to become foster carers – these requirements will never go away, and they all cost money.

“This publication allows us to take some of this money and use it to get all of these important messages to many thousands more residents than we are currently able to. In our view this is a sensible and pragmatic proposal which will provide excellent value for money.”

No date has yet been set for the scrutiny committee meeting in which councillors will be asked to look again at the plan.