NEARLY £19 million in just three years has been spent by Somerset Council on consultants.

But, council leader Cllr Bill Revans said consultancy spending had fallen in the past 12 months.

Cllr Revans said consultancy support was less than one per cent of the council’s annual revenue budget and was not designed to replace the democratic decision-making process.

However, the figure did not include spending on agency staff to deliver front-line services, such as social workers or occupational therapists.

Cllr Revans said: “We use external consultants and advisers in a targeted and a proportionate way.”

He was answering questions from former Sedgemoor district Conservative councillor Anthony Betty, who criticised the council for being ‘heavily reliant’ on consultants, likening their role to ‘a SatNav that dictates every turn’.