CEREDIGION Council has paid almost £1m so far to private consultants appointed to find cuts to council services and recommend fee increases, write Antony Gedge and Caleb Spencer.

The authority has confirmed it has so far paid £963,630 to Price Waterhouse Cooper under the ‘risk and reward’ work that sees PWC receive a percentage of savings made by the council from cuts identified by the company.

Council chiefs revealed the payments made so far following a Freedom of Information request from the Cambrian News, but has refused to reveal ‘amendments’ it has made to a contract with PWC decided during a secret meeting of the council’s Cabinet.

The council is warning it will have to make savings of over £8m in the 2016/17 financial year, but will continue with the contract with PWC, although a council spokesperson said it would not release details about any change to the contact as it would breach commercial sensitivity.

The spokesperson would not say whether the changes to the deal between the authority and PWC would see the council paying less to the consultants.

Responding to the FOI request, a council spokesperson said: “In relation to the ongoing efficiency partner project, I can confirm we have to date made payments totalling £963,630.”

A spokesperson added: “The press and public were excluded from the Cabinet meeting held on 19 January during consideration of this item pursuant to paragraph 14 and 16, Part 4, Schedule 12A Local Government Act 1972, on the basis that the papers contained information relating to financial or business affairs, and that it was information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be claimed following receipt of legal advice, and that the public interest in disclosing the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

“The council is not therefore in a position to provide details as to proposed amendments.”