HYNDBURN Council could soon publish all its expenditure details.

Currently, the council posts all purchases over £250 on its website but is considering a change in a bid to cut the number of Freedom of Information requests relating to expenditure under that amount.

A review will be carried out, the council’s cabinet decided, and a link to the current expenditure information will be made clearer on the council’s website.

Council documents read: “The [overview and scrutiny] committee were interested in public access to this information, and discussed how accessible it was on the website, if there was a need to remove the threshold of expenditure that is published and how this would benefit the public.

“The committee was advised that it would take an extra three hours officer time per month to publish all items of expenditure.” They were also advised that the numbers currently accessing the current information on the website was very low, which could be an indication of low public interest.

“The committee felt that public interest may increase it if was easier for them to access. Coun Tim O’Kane felt that publishing all expenditure could help small, local businesses to work with the council.”