CIVIC bosses are looking to spend £50,000 hiring consultants to tell them where to save cash.

While cash-strapped Eastleigh Council want to spend the money bringing in experts they will not say how much money they expect them to save.

But in a report to the council’s cabinet tonight the consultants claim they can save almost a fifth in spending from across a number of council departments, although they have not revealed which ones.

The move comes as the council looks to hike fees for services including sports facilities, burials and hiring community centres.

However, the move has drawn criticism from the opposition who say the council should be looking to save money not spend it.

Firm Ignite, which has experience redesigning services and has worked with a number of other councils, has developed an outline for reshaping the council’s services.

It will also address “options and recommendations on the appropriate management and staff structure”, according to the council’s report.

Cabinet members will tonight be asked to consider appointing Ignite to develop a detailed business case and approve a budget of £50,000 for it.

The review will take four months and will give the council a clearer picture of its financial situation and changes and investment required to make savings.

As previously reported, the council needs to save £4.7m from its budget in five years and has not ruled out job losses.

Its efficiency strategy, Future Eastleigh, has already led to offers of voluntary redundancy, early retirement and reduced hours.

The council moved into its new £12m town centre headquarters in March last year having left the old Leigh Road civic offices, which it is currently proposing to redevelop with a car showroom and fast food restaurants. As part of the relocation staff were compensated for the loss of on-site car parking by being given a travel payment related to their salary, whether they used a car or not.

Cllr Godfrey Olson, leader of the Conservative opposition, said he was concerned and questioned the need for consultants.

“We ought to know where savings can be made without spending £50,000 which in itself is going to add to the amount of savings that have got to be made,” he said.

“It could mean two or three staff cuts [to pay for it].”

Eastleigh Borough Council would not be the first Hampshire authority to turn to consultants to save money.

In 2013 the Daily Echo reported how Fareham Borough Council faced criticised after hiring a firm for £300,000 over three years, though the council now estimates it is making £380,000 a year savings.

A council spokesperson said it wanted to ensure efficient, quality, value for money services for residents in future.

He said a “significant proportion” of savings had been achieved through voluntary redundancies and not filling vacant posts, but would not detail numbers.

The council would not comment further on how much it expected to save from the council’s budget or on potential job losses from the service review.