It costs taxpayers thousands a year
Tap water at a full council meeting of Bristol City Council on Tuesday, September 10(Image: Alex Seabrook/LDRS)
New caterers are charging Bristol City Council £20 for tap water at every committee meeting, it has been revealed. The total cost of the ‘service’ per year for the 80 policy committee meetings and 156 democratic service meetings is £4,720.
Opposition Labour has lambasted the Green-led administration, saying it is pouring money down the drain.
The Greens hit back and said the costs equate to 30p per councillor for a meeting of full council – “just a trickle in the grand scheme of things” – and that the £43million lost by the previous Labour-run authority on the disastrous Bristol Energy project would have provided water at council meetings for 215,000 years.
The new food-and-drink suppliers, Compass (Compass Contract Services UK Ltd), replaced small Bristol family business Pegasus Catering in the summer following 26 years of service at City Hall.
Labour group leader Cllr Tom Renhard (Horfield) said: “This is a clear reflection of how poorly the Greens are running the council.
“It would be funny if it wasn’t taxpayer money they were wasting.
“If this is the deal they negotiate for tap water, how bad are the deals they’re negotiating for social care, housing developments, or road repairs?
“The Labour group will happily bring in our water bottles if it means we can save the public five grand.
“More taxpayer money going down the drain, the Greens need to fix this fast and focus on Bristolians’ priorities.”
Cllr Ed Fraser (Green, Eastville) said: “Listening to Cllr Renhard’s desperate and constant attempts to attack the Greens is thirsty work.
“The costs of which Cllr Renhard are complaining about equate to around 30p per councillor at a full council meeting.
“Just a trickle in the grand scheme of things.
“If Cllr Renhard was actually concerned about costs to the council, perhaps he should look at some of the mismanaged contracts from his time in administration, such as the £43million blown on the failed Bristol Energy project – enough money to provide water to full council meetings for the next 215,000 years.
“Luckily we will be well stocked for water at our meetings so this shouldn’t catch a frog in Cllr Renhard’s throat.”
In a written statement to member forum last December, Cllr Richard Eddy (Conservative, Bishopsworth) said he was “shocked and dismayed” at the previous caterers being axed.
He said at the time: “This company has provided refreshments in this place for over a quarter of a century.
“It is a small Bristol family-run business which has given devoted and loyal service to members, council officers, and the Bristol public for an impressively long time.
“More pertinently, the latest development will mean the replacement of a much-loved catering woman who has served refreshments at our College Green headquarters for 26 years.
“This fantastic individual has been told by council managers that her valuable services are no longer required from June 2025 after the council decided to award a citywide contract to a much larger corporate catering company.
“Members will agree that this bubbly and friendly lady has become a familiar institution at City Hall and, in my judgement, is exactly the sort of fun-loving and informal person this organisation needs.
“She is employed by Pegasus Catering, which was originally founded by her late mother.
“It is now run by her brother, who often helps out in City Hall for the bigger events.
“But this loyal woman has apparently fallen foul of council chiefs, who seem determined to arrange future contracts on a much different basis.
“Napolean Bonaparte famously said that ‘an army marches on its stomach’.
“Well, in my view, Bristol City Council only functions due to the excellent sustenance provided by this brilliant woman and her winning and sunny personality.
“I sincerely hope that this penny-pinching betrayal of a loyal Bristol public servant can yet be stopped and reversed.”
In a written question to Bristol City Council member forum on Tuesday, September 9, Labour group leader Cllr Tom Renhard (Horfield) asked: “The council’s new catering contract charges £20 for meetings to be provided with tap water – even the council’s own meetings.
“How many council meetings are there a year and if charged £20 a meeting for tap water, how much would the council pay the catering company?”
The council replied: “There are 156 democratic services meetings and 80 policy committee meetings each year.
“At £20 per meeting, this is a total cost of £4,720 per year, to supply water for committee meetings.”
It is understood that tap water at full council meetings will be free because the authority is paying for the tea and coffee.
But refreshments will no longer be served to members and officers at licensing sub-committee and public safety & protection sub-committee meetings after the authority decided not to meet a massive hike in costs, which would have more than doubled.
The charge for two cups of tea or coffee and buffet sandwich lunch, including fruit and cake, used to be £86 for eight people, but the new caterers wanted to bill the organisation £199.60.