Conservative Essex County Council's plans to launch its own public relations agency with Essex taxpayers' money have been slammed by opponents. Essex County Council plans to appoint up to 11 extra staff who will work alongside the existing 25 strong communications team.

Commenting on the plans, Essex County Council Liberal Democrats group leader Cllr Tom Smith-Hughes said:

"This is the point where the Conservative administration has finally taken leave of its senses. As if Essex residents were not suffering enough in this financial crisis, they now have to watch their hard earned cash being ploughed into a pet project, likely to end in tears, rather than having it spent on fixing roads or providing services for children or the elderly. Taxpayers will, of course, pay for all expenditure and will be liable for any losses.

There is currently an investigation into the council's communications department being undertaken after complaints were made about dishonest and misleading ads placed by the council communications department. The council needs to sort out its own PR. Against that background, it is particularly foolhardy to be contemplating such a venture."

Harlow's Liberal Democrat councillors have condemned the decision of the Conservative council to sign up to a long-term waste agreement with Essex County Council.

The decision, taken by the council at a special meeting, will bind the council to a long-term agreement with Essex County Council lasting 25 years from when it is signed in 2011.

The agreement is based on the County Council's proposal to develop large, inflexible waste treatment plants in Essex. The County Council intends to bid to the Government for these to be built by the private sector as a PFI scheme.

Harlow Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Cllr Lorna Spenceley said:

"This scheme is fundamendally flawed. It sets very low expectations for recycling and waste reduction. It's a long-term plan which ties up the council for almost 30 years. And it's an expensive commitment to maintain oversized waste facilities in Essex.

PFI schemes up and down the country have been notorious for providing poor value for local taxpayers. And while Conservative councillors boast that this agreement will bring in money from Essex County Council, they should remember that Essex County Council's money also comes from the taxpayer through our council tax. Harlow residents could be lumbered with the cost of this scheme for a very, very long time."

A Member of the European Parliament for the area that includes Harlow has been charged with false accounting and money laundering. Tom Wise was elected as a UKIP Member of the European Parliament for the East of England in 2004. Elections to the European Parliament are due to take place on Thursday 4 June.

A council culture of ambiguity, exaggeration, omission and dishonesty

Press advertisements placed by Conservative run Essex County Council are inaccurate, dishonest and misleading, according to a formal complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority. The ads have been running in local papers across Essex over the last few weeks and advertise the administration's pledges on council tax and post office initiative.

Speaking about the ads, Cllr Tom Smith-Hughes, Liberal Democrats group leader on Essex County Council, said:

"Two of the ads placed by the council in local papers and paid for with taxpayers' money, contain information that we believe to be in breach of guidelines for advertising standards. As a consequence, we have complained to the council's chief executive and senior officers and in the absence of an appropriate explanation, we have lodged a formal complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority.

One of the ads claimed that five post offices have already been re-opened under the council's post office initiative. That is incorrect as only three post offices are currently operational under the scheme.

A second ad claims that this year's council tax is the 'lowest ever council tax'. This is clear nonsense as council tax has gone up every year of the Conservatives' rule at County Hall, so this year's council tax is actually the highest ever. A second statement in the same ad says that a council tax rise of 1.9% this year '..fulfils a pledge made to you late year to keep any rise in Council Tax below inflation'. A blatant untruth as the inflation rate at the time the council tax was set was, in fact, 0.9%.

We have been saying for ages now, that this Conservative administration is obsessed with its own image and its commitment to spin and publicity appears its main priority. Glossing up press releases is one thing, but to use taxpayers' money to pay for flagrantly untrue ads is quite another thing."

Liberal Democrat councillor Linda Pailing writes:

The last-minute change of mind by Harlow's Conservative-led council over the future of the advice centre offers a glimmer of hope for local residents. But serious concerns still remain about the council's plans.

There will be more money for advice services than the Conservatives originally proposed. But even so, the service will be operating on less than one-third of its previous grant. This will be a serious cut in the level of help available, just as demand is increasing as a result of the credit crunch.

There is also no guarantee that the council will award the contract for specialist advice services to Harlow Welfare Rights - or to any other external supplier. If the contract is not awarded, the Conservatives say the council will run a limited advice service itself from within Contact Harlow. How will that be able to offer independent advice in cases where people's problems are with council departments such as housing or benefits?

There is no certainty of the amount of money to be granted to the Citizens' Advice Bureau to enable it to continue to offer general advice. A council officer, in consultation only with two Conservative councillors, will negotiate and agree a one-year-only deal with the CAB. And the CAB may no longer be able to rely on the benefits, such as out-of-hours reception desking, and cleaning costs, that it has enjoyed from working in the same building as Harlow Welfare Rights.

The only reason the Conservatives have been forced to come forward at the eleventh hour to agree any of these modest improvements, was the overturning of their original plans by the High Court, and an unprecedented backlash from service users, residents, and opposition councillors.

Left to their own devices, the Conservatives would be prepared to see the Advice Centre close and vulnerable residents left without help. That is the message that local people will take away from this whole sorry story.