North Yorkshire Council has dismissed calls to reconsider having sandwiches for its staff delivered by a supplier based more than 50 miles away.
The authority’s executive member for finance, Councillor Gareth Dadd, said with more than 600,000 residents, a budget of £1.4bn and millions of pounds of savings needing to be made, the authority had more pressing issues to be dealing with.
But critics say the authority which has stated ambitions of becoming the country’s most local council as well as being part of the UK’s first carbon negative region should have a rethink.
Coun Dadd was speaking after a scrutiny committee meeting at County Hall in Northallerton heard sandwiches bought in for some of the 600 staff who work there were delivered twice a week from an industrial estate south of Bradford.
Independent group leader Councillor Stuart Parsons said while there could be questions over value for money, he did not believe having sandwiches delivered from West Yorkshire met the authority’s carbon-cutting or buy local policies.
Coun Parsons said he had raised the issue with the council on numerous occasions and the authority had done nothing about it.
He said: “I am convinced that not too far away from County Hall will be somebody who can make and supply sandwiches, thereby cutting the carbon footprint and support the very local economy that needs it.
“The good side of it is the sandwiches come from Yorkshire, but they could be coming from North Yorkshire. I do believe the council should be flying the flag for local and very local where possible. They seem incapable about doing anything about something that they should be able to directly control.”
The council’s Liberal Democrat group leader Councillor Bryn Griffiths urged the council to use local catering suppliers from Northallerton.
He added: “In my experience there are a number of good retail outlets on Northallerton High Street who make excellent sandwiches.”
Councillor Kevin Foster, the Green Party leader on the council, said the group had been set to lodge a notice of motion before all the authority’s members to stop sandwiches being brought in from Bradford.
He said: “It would be better if it was a local firm for a number of reasons.”
The authority’s executive member for finance, Councillor Gareth Dadd, said he did not believe the supplier was travelling from Bradford to deliver sandwiches only to the canteen at County Hall.
He said: “Bradford is just a hop, skip over the border, still in Yorkshire. Where does Councillor Parsons buy his bread from? I bet a penny to a pound it won’t be made in North Yorkshire.
“The council has a £1.4bn budget and I have better things to do than start making demands about where we source sandwiches from.
“I am incredulous that we have stooped to this level about where sandwiches come from. If Councillor Parsons really wants to help the authority and his residents he should be offering sensible ideas for budget savings and efficiencies.”
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The mind boggles hasn’t counsellor daddy heard the phrase coals to Newcastle no wonder north Yorkshire is becoming a poverty place for heaven sake if they want a posh butties go to Betty’s in Northallerton but why not use other retailers like coolants again in Northallerton our poll tax goes up housing benefit goes down they expect the locals to cope cut back buy sensibly yet sandwiches from Bradford doesn’t seem like a waste to the get in the real world
I buy bread from Thomas the Baker – based in Helmsley and from Granny’s Kitchen based in Richmond. So in answer to Mr Dadd – I do buy and support local and North Yorkshire.
He doesn’t understand that every little change can help North Yorkshire become more sustainable and have less carbon emissions. Supporting the economy of North Yorkshire should be a priority and every pound saved goes towards the overall savings total.
Cllr Dadd doesn’t understand a lot of things, including the meaning of ‘democracy’. Why does anyone vote for him?
Councillor Gareth Dadds seems to be arrogant in his dismissive attitude to saving money for NYC. Buying sandwiches from 50 miles away when a local supplier could supply the sandwiches is wrong.
Surely it should be up to council employees to take care of their own lunch arrangements as individuals do in the private sector.
Cllr Dadd doesn’t understand a lot of things, including the meaning of ‘democracy’. Why does anyone vote for him?
I wish my employee provided me with sandwiches when I was work , and it’s correct if they are to be provided they should come from a local source
Well said Geoff Gillian.
I took my own home made sandwiches to work for 35years.
Also as Sandra Briggs remarked.
“Look after the pennies….”
This new Council needs to come down from the clouds to this real world then they may be able to sort out the mess Yorkshire is in.
Just slow down on the sending on green stuff and sort out the roads etc which the tax payer pays them to do.
Northallerton is more of a hop skip and jump from Co Durham than it is from Bradford!
The science of incremental change means making lots of small changes can have a big affect. Maybe the council could save lots of money if it adopted this approach starting with cheaper local sandwiches. Where else are the wasting money.
It is about time Cllr Dadd responded in a more appropriate way rather than the dismissive and arrogant manner in which he did – maybe years of total control has developed such responses! I do agree the Council has lots of things to do delivering all those savings we were promised when the new council was formed. However, although a small amount, the provision of sandwiches locally would be a way to reduce our carbon footprint and one would expect the cost to be a similar or reduced amount. It would also continue to provide jobs locally.
I think he’s right to focus on more important matters than sandwiches, I feel this story is just one media hit job against a Yorkshire Council which is in a much better financial position than others in poorer Ridings of Yorkshire.
Perhaps because of bulk purchases or economies of scale, its cheaper and more cost efficient for taxpayers for Council sarnies from a firm in Bradford, which to be fair has a lot of agricultural villages and towns in the district we’re good Yorkshire quality food no matter what.
Let em get on with the Job of Governing Yorkshire, focus on that rather than little stories about Yorkshire Sandwiches.
Wow, some councils are going bankrupt or on the verge. So how can this council be allowed to do that anyway.
People take pack ups to work or buy something themselves.
So you’ve got this council buying out of public funds for themselves.
Is this a labour council or Conservative. If this was in my area I would seek advice and try to get this into court.
It’s a total disgrace.
In fairness North of Yorkshire Council is I a much better financial position than many other Yorkshire councils like Kirklees or Sheffield.
Maybe it’s cheaper to buy from Bradford, good for taxpayers in the North Council while providing support to poorer Ridings in Yorkshire.
Just let the staff out to walk to the Northallerton high Street. This stupid council with its rubbish parking charges are a big reason for the decline in NA’s high street. And what’s this guff about carbon negative noone asked me.
It’s not their money so who cares
The council should be leading by example. This sandwich matter doesn’t need a full council debate nor high level intervention. Simply instruct the purchasing department to obtain tenders from approved suppliers within a , say 10 mile radius of Control say Hall. This is an excellent example of why councils are not fit to govern and go bankrupt.
In fairness North of Yorkshire Council is I a much better financial position than many other Yorkshire councils like Kirklees or Sheffield.
Maybe it’s cheaper to buy from Bradford, good for taxpayers in the North Council while providing support to poorer Ridings in Yorkshire.
I am incredulous that some electors would ever vote for Gareth Dadd. Why do staff need to buy sandwiches anyway rather than making their own at home?
Buy from Yorkshire what is this NYC spending our money on .SHAME ON YOU
I believe you are confused, Bradford is in Yorkshire, has bin ever since t’vikings
And this is exactly the sort of wasteful behaviour by councils that is abhorrent to the taxpayers.
A 100 mile round trip to deliver sandwiches is not at all economical nor environmentally friendly.
Northallerton has more than adequate food outlets & would be far more economical.
Councillor Parkinson is right to flag this wasteful practice & Councillor Dadd should keep careful watch on the little things. If he’s too important/busy then delegate.
If Council & Government departments were run more efficiently maybe our rates would stop increasing & services would improve
It’s not just Council sarnies, they’re a private food business from Yorkshire and so presumably have other business up here.
Think economies of scale, maybe its cheaper to source these particular Yorkshire Sandwiches from the West Riding, so beyt3r value for us rhe taxpayer. Have you thought about that side of it all lad?
Where you buy your sandwiches absolutely matters. You are frittering away my council tax. Be mindful of the saying “look after the pennies….”
Nowt so bloody stupid. Sandwiches from another Riding 50 miles away. And twice a week. Use local firms fresh every day using local produce. What a pathetic council we have. Really is tine for a change . Far too secure in their blue government. I feel a wast of space Sunak. Is doing his best for that change. Leon Brittain looked after North Yorkshire. Haghue was less than useless. Now Sunak not on this planet. Time for a change
I think he’s right to focus on more important matters than sandwiches, I feel this story is just one media hit job against a Yorkshire Council which is in a much better financial position than others in poorer Ridings of Yorkshire.
Perhaps because of bulk purchases or economies of scale, its cheaper and more cost efficient for taxpayers for Council sarnies from a firm in Bradford, which to be fair has a lot of agricultural villages and towns in the district we’re good Yorkshire quality food no matter what.
Let em get on with the Job of Governing Yorkshire, focus on that rather than little stories about Yorkshire Sandwiches.
Why should I have to pay for council office workers lunches. This is a total disaster. Council tax should not be used for such a purpose
We should be given a reduction in our council tax to compensate us for having to pay for our own lunches. Daddy should remember who pays his wages. Arrogance gets one nowhere.
I think he’s right to focus on more important matters than sandwiches, I feel this story is just one media hit job against a Yorkshire Council which is in a much better financial position than others in poorer Ridings of Yorkshire.
Perhaps because of bulk purchases or economies of scale, its cheaper and more cost efficient for taxpayers for Council sarnies from a firm in Bradford, which to be fair has a lot of agricultural villages and towns in the district we’re good Yorkshire quality food no matter what.
Let em get on with the Job of Governing Yorkshire, focus on that rather than little stories about Yorkshire Sandwiches.
Vote Keith Tordoff MBE for North of Yorkshire Mayor in 2024!
This cannot be true surely ! What else is being sourced from dubious destinations i fear?