OXFORDSHIRE councils have spent over £60,000 training senior leadership staff, according to figures.

The amount the authorities spent varies significantly, with Oxford City Council spending £24,500 since the start of 2016 – while Cherwell District Council spent nothing at all.

The city council spent £6,000 on paying for training for legal responsibilities of directors from the Institute of Directors last year.

It also clocked up a £3,500 bill for business continuity training from Zurich, and spending £15,000 on a leadership development programme from management consultants, Q. Learning.

West Oxfordshire District Council incurred costs of £20,236 since January 1, 2016, while the county council spent £16,795.

Conversely, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Council said it had accrued just £3.30 in expenses over the same time.

South Oxfordshire council had spent nothing in the first quarter of 2016, and then £3.30 in expenses for a 'legal hub seminar', which was held sometime between April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017, and then nothing from April 1, 2017 to the end of last month.

Vale of White Horse council recorded no spending over that period.

The county council said it had spent £16,795 on training for staff over 2016 and 2017.

As part of that, in 2016, training for a professional certificate in coaching cost the council £5,250.

While in 2017, other personal coaching cost £3,225.

It was supplemented by the county council enrolling staff on the Windsor Leadership Developing Leaders Programme, which cost £4,765, and on the Windsor Leadership Emerging Leaders Programme. That cost £3,555.

The county council has already earmarked a £150,000 as part of its 2018/19 budget.

The money will be used for 'senior leadership development'. The council said that will be used to 'address development plans for the "top 80" leaders in the council' – and that it will equate to about £2,000 per member of staff involved in the training.

Any use of the fund has not been allocated and the council said the fund is 'not need money'.

It said the money forms a part of its 'commitment' to ''developing staff across the council so they are best equipped to ensure delivery of services to residents'.