£64m town hall plan ridiculed

Hackney council was caught in a fresh controversy today after it agreed to spend up to £64million building a new town hall complex.

The Tories said the money borough would be better spending the money on improving "slum" housing.

The Labour- controlled council is involved in litigation over a previous building project, a £32million leisure centre that had to close two years after opening because of safety problems.

Tory group leader Eric Ollerenshaw said: "I find it incredible that a poor council that brought us the great leisure centre fiasco can set off on what is probably the biggest town hall redevelopment scheme in the country."