COUNCIL SNOOKERED BY TABLE

A PLAN to house a billiard table in its own room at Wycombe District Council has been labelled a "terrible waste of public money" and a "big embarrassment".

Councillors fear a proposed new room for the table could mean officers playing snooker in full view of the public.

The table is currently in an annex building, once used as a staff canteen, which is now needed to house the council's new CCTV headquarters.

After a 20-minute debate at last week's policy and resources committee, no decision was made on its fate.

Cllr Val Letheren said it had become a big embarrassment to the council and was a very expensive use of a room.

Speaking afterwards she said it was a "terrible waste of public money" and only 11 officers played on the table.

She added: "I think it would be better to offer it to a billiard club, and those people who play on it could have use of it."

Cllr Ted Collins said: "We have to put this into perspective. An administration years and years and years ago gave the staff permission to buy this table.

"To now take another facility away really doesn't give our staff the view that we actually care much for them."

A council spokesman said: "The problem is that because its very heavy and takes up a lot of space, relocation of the table is not as easy as it first appears.

"It's a long-standing staff facility and efforts are being made to retain it if at all possible."

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