One of London’s poorest borough is set to spend thousands of pounds on a “lavish” makeover of the mayor’s office, despite the council moving into the new town hall less than a year ago.
Plans for Tower Hamlets leader Lutfur Rahman’s new executive work space include a £50,000 meeting table and 30 luxury chairs.
But critics on Wednesday slammed the relocation of a staff cafeteria at the council’s Whitechapel headquarters so Mr Rahman’s office can be extended.
Proposals, due to be discussed at a planning meeting on Thursday evening, include turning the building’s chapel, currently a canteen, into an “executive office”.
The council’s civic centre moved to the former Grade II listed Royal London Hospital in January following a £120 million refurbishment.
But a string of new upgrades have already been ordered.
A £50,000 budget has been put aside for the mayor’s meeting table and seats, with the council admitting it has already spent £24,000 on the chairs.
Some £200,000 is budgeted for moving the mayor’s office, while £25,000 is set aside for a kitchenette. The revamp was expected to cost a total of £450,000 but the final bill is “under review”, according to council documents.
There have been 66 objections to the plans.
Tower Hamlets Unison branch secretary Kerie Anne argued it was unfair to create “an inferior space, and fewer meeting rooms for staff use”.
Tower Hamlets Labour said it would be “grating” for residents to learn that the “lavish makeover is set to cost taxpayers a staggering £400,000”.
Bethnal Green East councillor Sirajul Islam said: “To see Mayor Rahman’s extravagant spending spree is incredibly troubling for the residents.”
Nearly half of children in Tower Hamlets are growing up in poverty — more than in any other borough in the capital, according to Trust For London data.
Mr Rahman returned to lead the council last year after he was barred from holding office for five years in 2015 for electoral fraud.
He and his Aspire group won control of the borough last May after he served out his ban.
Tower Hamlets said the £50,000 table costs relate to a 30-person meeting table and chairs that could also be used for events.
A council spokesman said it always “planned to review” the use of the town hall after six months and upgrades will also help the town hall generate income with events and by hosting investors.
They added the council wanted to “create a much bigger indoor and outdoor wellbeing space with improved facilities and an outdoor terrace” and the current area was too small.
“Staff wellbeing and mental health has never been under more pressure with funding cuts, increased demand for services and the cost of living crisis,” the council said in a statement.
“Staff have told us they want more wellbeing space. In response, we want to create a much bigger indoor and outdoor wellbeing space with improved facilities and an outdoor terrace.
“These changes, along with other improvements to the office spaces, is about using the building more efficency and improving staff wellbeing. These costs are not additional to the exitsing budget which was signed off at a Full Council meeting in March. The money was already set aside to make improvements following the planned six month review.”
