CONSULTANTS in Lancashire were paid more than £10,000 to help tell the city council what’s great about Worcester, according to outraged councillors looking at a total £334,000 bill for outside experts.

The spending went to a “place specialist” so it could develop a “narrative” about the city.

Thinking Place, based in Preston, is being tasked with assisting the council in talking up Worcester’s attributes. But the move has been labelled “staggering” by one city politician, who says the council “cannot justify it”.

The spending is part of £334,000 which has gone to consultants over the last six months, most of which went on paying a company to draw up the swimming pool proposals for Perdiswell.

Conservative Councillor Andy Roberts, a former cabinet member for finance, said: “I am absolutely staggered that we’ve spent £10,000 on getting someone to tell us the story of Worcester.

“We’ve got councillors with what must be 400 years’ experience who could tell anyone at the council what’s great about this city. How can this possibly be justified?”

The council says Thinking Place is being tasked with creating “a narrative on the story of Worcester the place”, costing £10,275. As part of the work, the company will need to create glossy literature to be used as marketing tools to entice the private sector, and digital videos which can be circulated to websites.

The project is focusing on championing the city and encouraging more investment in the hope it will create jobs.

A spokesman said: “We have engaged Thinking Place on a project aimed at bringing people together across Worcester to develop a shared ambition for our city.

“This will form a vital part of a wider process in which we will work in partnership with both public and private sector groups to achieve a great future for Worcester.”

The council also handed just under £300,000 to Turner Townsend to work on the proposed leisure centre at Perdiswell.

Some £4,200 went on a former city council employee Chris Dobbs, who now works as a consultant, for advice on restructuring the development management service. Zeta Economics, a consultancy firm specialising in regeneration, got £10,000 to update the council’s city centre masterplan. Another £10,000 was paid to Beacon Consulting to review the crematorium, but it was funded externally.