People looking for serviced offices in Cardiff may be shocked to hear how one council spent a large sum on its new headquarters.
Newham Council in London's poorest borough has reportedly spent £111 million on the building in a move described as "scandalous" by local government minister Bob Neill.
The funding has been branded as misplaced when thousands of workers are set to lose their jobs due to public sector cutbacks.
As many as 1,600 teaching support staff are expected to be made redundant when spending cuts are introduced in the new year, while 5,000 workers will be forced into new contracts.
Mr Neill said of the head office: "Newham's justification that this vanity makeover was part of an efficiency drive is even more laughable now it emerges they spent nearly £2,000 on designer lights."
Sir Robin Wales was recently elected to serve his third term as the mayor of Newham and states on the council website that he aims to regenerate the area for the benefit of its residents.
