A council that is shutting almost half its public toilets to save cash has been accused of a ‘shocking waste of money’ after advertising for a £45,000-a-year diversity manager.
Conwy county council, which covers North Wales tourist resorts including Llandudno and Colwyn Bay, faces a £31 million black hole despite increasing council tax bills by nearly 20 per cent in two years.
Residents and visitors were outraged this summer when the authority announced it was closing a string of public toilets in a bid to tackle the shortfall.
So the creation of the new post of diversity, equity and inclusion manager by the authority – which has no party in overall control – has provoked fury, with Tory politicians accusing it of having the wrong priorities.
It comes after figures showed the amount councils spend on diversity roles nationally almost doubled to nearly £23 million in 2022/23.
Welsh Tory leader and local MS Darren Millar said: ‘North Wales gets a rough funding deal from the south Wales-centric Welsh Labour Government so it makes it all the more important that councils in the region spend their money wisely.
‘It is unacceptable that spending is being prioritised on such posts when public toilets are being closed and libraries are facing cuts.’
Janet Finch-Saunders, another local Tory MS, said the salary was ‘a shocking waste of money’.
Despite facing a £31 million black hole Conwy county council, whose headquarters are sen here, is advertising for a £45,000-a-year diversity manager
At the same time, public toilets like the one seen here at Degawny public beach, are being closed down – with 18 closed permanently, 20 open year-round and three open seasonally
‘Picking up litter, emptying the bins, dealing with potholes and increasing the social service spend are much more important than this nonsense post,’ she said.
And William Yarwood, media campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Every time a council cries out for cash it turns out that behind the scenes they’re wasting money left, right and centre.
‘It’s now well established that these so-called diversity roles are nothing more than virtue-signalling, chaos-causing busybodies who tend to interfere with productive, effective staff while doing nothing to achieve their own stated objectives.
‘Conwy council, like all other councils, should ditch these roles and allocate necessary responsibilities to existing HR staff.’
The new role offers ‘flexible working options for a work life balance’, including ‘a balance of office and home working’.
Applicants should be committed to working towards ‘a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future.’
It adds that the ability to communicate in Welsh is ‘desirable’.
The post has been created after a councillor accused the authority of being ‘stuck in the 1950s’ in its attitude to diversity and equality.
Chris Cater, cabinet member for audit, policy and performance, said the authority was seeking to ‘embed a culture of inclusivity’ through its Inclusive Conwy Strategic Plan.
‘This plan shows how we support a culture of awareness for all protected characteristics so that no matter your background, you are able to live, work and visit a county where you are welcomed and feel acceptance and belonging,’ he added.
A council spokeswoman added: ‘Our goal for inclusivity in Conwy is clear, and the diversity, equity and inclusion role is key to support the implementation of our plan.’
The authority is already grappling with a bin wagon depot fiasco which has so far cost local taxpayers almost £1.9 million.
In 2016 it signed a lease for units in Colwyn Bay, to house gritters and bin lorries – but then found the floor was too weak.
The council is locked into the contract until 2031.
Currently 18 of Conwy’s public toilets are being closed permanently, leaving 20 open year-round and another three open seasonally.
A further 19 are available to use in council buildings.
A 91-year-old resident said: ‘It’s one blow after another for OAPs.
‘One suspects this is because Labour politicians hold us in the north with some disdain.
‘But do we really need to pay for woke posts which have no benefit for the ordinary family?’