A COUNCIL that was forced to cut services and grants in its latest budget has been criticised for deciding to employ more people.

Teesdale District Council yesterday heard how additional unbudgeted resources had been found totalling £275,173.

The council recently closed public lavatories in Barnard Castle, Woodland and Hamsterley, and withdrew financial support from the Durham Community Alarm Trust.

It also reduced the opening hours of Barnard Castle Tourist Information Centre and approved a council tax rise of 9.9 per cent.

However, some councillors were incensed when it was discovered that the majority of the additional money was to be spent employing a forward planning officer, a customer services officer, a licensing officer and a part-time homeless persons' Officer.

Councillor Newton Wood said: "We are not here to employ people but to provide a service. From this decision our council taxpayers will see no benefits on the streets."

Councillor Ken Coates said: "How are we going to explain this? There is no way I'm going to employ more staff when services are being cut."

Council chief executive Charles Anderson said most of the posts, such as the licensing officer and homeless persons officer, were needed to fulfil statutory duties.

He said: "These are new pieces of legislation and we need to be fully equipped to deal with the challenges."

Also, he said because most of the additional money came from a planning delivery grant, it would need to be concentrated within the planning department.

Councillor Ken Robinson, chairman of the council's corporate strategy group, said: "We have to take a broad overview."

A motion to delay the appointment of the homeless persons officer was defeated and the council approved the spending of the additional resources.

The council also agreed to reinstate a free collection service for bulky household waste.