COUNCIL leader Robert Donald has defended spending on consultants in St Albans, arguing they are often the cheapest way of getting essential work done.

Labour leader Martin Leach has lambasted St Albans District Council for spending £1.5 million on external consultancy in the last 12 months, a 300 per cent increase from 2008/9.

But Councillor Robert Donald, chairman of the Lib Dem cabinet, said the recent figure was skewed by the consultancy cost of Westminster Lodge replacement (£1.1 million), and two strategic planning documents - the Core Strategy (£39,000) and City Vision (£186,000).

He said: "We look at each case carefully before deciding to use consultants to see if something can be done by our own staff.

"But for some projects our own people do not have the the specialist experience or expertise.

" Sometimes we can get somebody on to work on a short term contract of one or two years, but that can work out more expensive than a consultant.

"If we never used consultants but always took on extra staff, that would cost much more."

He denied Councillor Leach's claim that grants for local charitable services had been cut to pay for consultants, saying funding for the women's refuge was unchanged, while the three-year commitment to Shelter would be honoured, but reviewed for 2012.