A guide to ensuring taxpayers’ money is not being wasted has been dismissed as simply being “common sense” by a council leader.

Communities secretary Eric Pickles has published a guide, entitled 50 Ways To Save, providing councils with ways to cut costs and generate funds.

But Braintree Council leader Graham Butland says the authority already follows most of the recommendations, and has questioned how much time and effort went into creating the guide.

Among the 50 suggested “sensible savings” is that councillors stop going on luxury away days, scrap the post of chief executive and avoid translating documents into foreign languages.

Full report in this week's newspaper.