City centre TV screen costs taxpayers £1m » Local Government » 24dash.com

A giant city centre television screen which has remained unused for more than a year has cost taxpayers almost £1 million, it was revealed today.

Council officials put up the screen in Victoria Square, Birmingham, in late 2007 but have been unable to use it after the owners of a nearby office block obtained a High Court injunction preventing it from being turned on.

Objections about noise were raised by the owners of Waterloo House, who were also granted a judicial review of the council's decision to grant itself planning permission.

Birmingham City Council has spent £985,000 on the screen, including legal fees, according to figures released following a request under the Freedom of Information Act by the Birmingham Post.

The council spent a further £22,000 hiring temporary screens to show the Olympic Games.

Fiona McEvoy, West Midlands spokeswoman for The TaxPayers' Alliance, which campaigns against wasteful spending by public bodies, said: "If the council hadn't been so arrogant to begin with and hadn't railroaded through planning permission, then this waste of money could have been avoided.

"All too often Birmingham City Council seem to get obsessed with prestige projects regardless of local concerns over the cost to taxpayers."

A new planning application has been made in consultation with Waterloo House, which will go before the planning committee in the next few months.

The council plans to show sport and music events, as well as streaming BBC news and council information films on the screen.

A spokesman for Birmingham City Council said: "The city council remains committed to providing a big screen in the city centre which will ensure Birmingham retains its place amongst a leading group of major UK cities in the use of cutting edge technology in public spaces.

"The big screen will be another great asset for the hundreds of thousands of people who use civic space for their leisure and enjoyment."