I NOTE that our illustrious council leader Neil Moore and the Vale Council have been awarded a plaque and certificate from Diverse Excellence Cymru for the recent renovations to the council chamber which cost us the taxpayer more than £248,000.

I would also like to offer my congratulations to Neil Moore and his council for this award - I am sure it is well deserved! Spending this amount of our money on these renovations at a time when we are seeing a massive increase in the number of Vale residents using foodbanks and when council employees have lost their jobs or seen a pay cut is wrong. And what about the cuts we can expect in 2014 and the predicted council tax increase we can look forward to?

Don't forget Mr and Mrs Moore pick up a hefty £69,000 between them for the privilege of spending our money.

Perhaps Mr Moore would like to hold an official plaque hanging ceremony and he can invite all those people using foodbanks etc to see how our money is spent.

I find it grossly offensive that you have a body like the DEC praising councils for spending a vast sum of taxpayers money on useless projects when so many people are really struggling to live on basics day by day - and Neil Moore thinks it is a great honour. Our politicians are so out of touch.

D J Radford

Coleridge Crescent

Barry