PLANS to spend £4 million refurbishing Dudley Council house to create a ‘palace’ have been labelled a waste of money while tax payers face a 3.99 per cent council tax increase.

Labour councillors have attacked the scheme saying it will create plush offices while the authority struggles to provide services and deal with problems like crime and anti-social behaviour.

Hitting out at the scheme Cllr Qadar Zada, Labour leader on the council, has said the council tax payers will be furious if the plan goes ahead, saying:  “The Tories have got their priorities wrong.

“It sounds like the leadership will have a plush office paid for by tax payers from where they can decide how to slash services further to pay for their comfort. 

“When they find out, residents will quite rightly be furious about this crass decision to frivolously throw away their money.”

The proposal for a make over of the Grade II listed building on Priory Road and its adjacent offices were revealed at last week’s Cabinet which also discussed a 3.99 per cent increase in council tax.  

Arguing the borough was in desperate need of cash to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, housing and social care, he added: “We are not in support of a Conservative palace to be built in the centre of Dudley. 

“In the same evening we receive one report that increases council tax and the burden on local residents and a further set of cuts to local services and a few pages later the Conservative administration is proposing a ludicrous waste of money.”

But Cllr Patrick Harley, leader of the council, has defended the plans saying work on the 1930s Art Deco building is long overdue.

He accused the Labour leader of not checking his facts, saying: “Before he starts criticising he wants to start by finding out what the details are. 

“He has had the report for about two weeks and he can easily found out what the plans are. “

Responding to Labour claims it would create a ‘palace’ he said: “It’s pretty childish and if they’ve got to resort to that they have already lost the argument.

“It’s an old building that has required substantial improvement works for many,  many years. 

“It is a Grade II listed which means we can’t do certain things but we must also protect it.

“If we didn’t maintain it he would be the first to criticise us for not maintaining our heritage.”

He added because of its age there could be unforeseen problems like asbestos which the council had to budget for. 

“We don’t know what we might find and it might not cost as much as 4 million but it is better to have it in the pot if we need it,” Cllr Harley said.

He added the refurbishment would also improve and update other local authority’s buildings close to Priory Road.