Cash-strapped Powys County Council has defended spending £34,000 on its County Hall canteen after a Llanidloes Plaid Cymru member accused the authority of “putting salt in the wound”.

The council confirmed that it had carried out renovation work and bought new furniture at the canteen in the authority’s Llandrindod Wells headquarters claiming it provides an improved “agile work space” to allow staff meetings to be held there.

But the decision was criticised by Jackie Owen of Plaid Cymru’s Llanidloes branch saying that it was a blow to residents to see council services being cut and inflation-busting council tax rises being imposed at the same time.

The £34,000 spending included £11,000 for new furniture, but Cllr Phyl Davies, the county council’s Cabinet member for property, said that the changes had helped provide a new work space and that the furniture that had been in the canteen had been used elsewhere in the council or given to schools and community groups.

He said: “To make better use of the space in County Hall, we have provided an additional agile work space in the restaurant in County Hall.

“This has allowed staff to agile work and hold informal meetings before and after lunchtime.

“As part of this, we have purchased new furniture which would meet our agile working requirements but also allow diners to eat in comfort.”

Ms Owen said: “It is a sad irony that Powys residents are under pressure to put food on the table, and paying ever increasing council tax, yet Powys council can seem to afford new tables at huge expense.”

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