Brent Council spent �30 million in one month

Millions of pounds worth of council spending is being made public for the first time,

Every payment made by Brent Council last year that exceeds �500 must be put online and be accessible to the public by the end of January.

Brent has already begun the process by publishing its November expenses online.

In November alone there are more than 3,000 entries totalling nearly �30 million.

Schools and housing take the largest chunks of the budget but there are some surprising costs too.

Brent Council recorded a payment of �80,436 to Deloitte & Touche Public Sector Ltd for ‘consultant fees’.

A Brent Council spokeswoman said: “Deloitte consultants are working on a range of efficiency projects in Brent which, together, are forecast to deliver �33m savings each year or a total of �165m over five years.”

Only 135 of the 326 English councils have so far published their data online with only weeks to go to the deadline.

To view Brent Council’s November 2010 payments visit www.brent.gov.uk/opendata.nsf/pages/LBB-20