COUNCIL bosses defended the balance of their spending after being accused of piling too much cash into culture projects.

Greenstead Independent founder Christopher Lee questioned Colchester Council’s cabinet members.

He said: “The Mercury Theatre received £301,000 in 2015 and has had £124,000 in the first two thirds of this year.

“On top of this the council also decided to give the Mercury £1 million towards its expansion.

“The night shelter has received £8,948 in the same period in this year and according to response from a Freedom of Information request I had at the start of September the council is contributing nothing towards the £1 million required for the shelter’s expansion.

“Firstsite received more money in January alone than the Women’s Refuge, Age UK and the night shelter combined this year so far.

“How does the council justify shovelling millions into the culture portfolio while vital emergency services like the night shelter receive virtually nothing in comparison?”

Culture boss Tim Young (Lab) said: “I think our investment in the Mercury Theatre pays back to the local economy more than 100 times over.

“The amount of people it brings in and their investment into the local economy make me proud of what we have done.

“We do support a number of charity and organisations and I think we have got the bulk of our funding right.”

Portfolio holder for resources Mark Cory (Lib Dem) said the council had invested in a deposit scheme to help people and had ploughed funds into helping the homeless.

He said: “We do not shout about our core grants we give which total hundreds of thousands of pounds to organisations across the borough.

“We are doing everything we can to support those who are struggling to get by."