COUNCIL “propaganda” papers should be scrapped, say some residents after discovering they cost almost £122,500 to produce in the last year.

A Freedom of Information request by the Oxford Mail showed the cost of the county’s newsletters and magazines, with Cherwell District Council spending the most – £53,464.

It is one of four councils in Oxfordshire to produce the free news updates for residents, with Vale of White Horse District Council and Oxfordshire County Council opting not to.

Earlier this year, Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary, called council newsletters “taxpayer-funded propaganda” and said he was preparing legal action against five London councils to close their publications.

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Speaking to the Oxford Mail, he called it a “corrosive abuse of public money”, adding: “All councils should be looking at cutting out waste and unnecessary spending.

“By continuing to publish so-called newspapers, councils are ultimately damaging local democracy and an independent, free press.”

But Cherwell District Council lead member for communications and performance, Kieron Mallon, said the newsletters were an important source of news for people who did not use the internet.

He said: “Many residents rely on Cherwell Link, which reaches every home in the district, for essential council-related information.

“Social media is an increasingly important form of communication and we operate highly effective Twitter and Facebook sites, both with a large number of followers.

“But there is still a place for printed material aimed at reaching those members of the community that are not frequent users of the Internet, either through choice or because of poor rural connection speeds.”

Oxford City Council spent £19,332 on its Your Oxford newsletter in 2013/14, including almost £11,000 on postage.

Rose Hill resident Donald Young said he thought the newsletter should be distributed more sensibly. The 76-year-old former street cleaner said: “I have the house and I also have two garages.

“Every three months or so I get a letter with the rent statement for my house and a little newsletter.

“The next day I will get a rent statement for one of the garages and a newsletter and the day after that I will get the same again with a third newsletter.

“It is a waste of money.”

And Jonathan Bell, a masters student from Cowley Road, said Oxford City Council should consider adopting the approach of Vale of White Horse District Council, which scrapped its newsletter in 2011.

He said: “I think it is a waste of money because I don’t see what they are going to have in it that the normal media wouldn’t have.”

But Les Goodwin, 67, a resident at Atkyns Court sheltered housing, in Wood Farm, said the newsletter was worth the money.

He said: “I haven’t seen Your Oxford around here for a while and I would like to because I think it would be interesting and I think there is news in there that people like to read.

“There are only three of us here who use computers and everyone else depends on newsletters or just hearing the news from other people.”

WHAT THEY COST

EACH council’s spending on newsletters:
Cherwell – £53,464 on 60,000 copies
Oxford – £19,332 on 62,000 copies
South Oxfordshire – £43,860 on 58,000 copies
West Oxfordshire – £6,865 on 49,800 copies

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