WELL it looks as if it all comes down to tea and biscuits at Chiltern District Council this week.

Plans to enlarge the council's members' room has sounded a distinctly dodgy note with one Liberal Democrat councillor who would rather see the cash spent elsewhere.

The decision to spend £22,000 of taxpayers' money on the members' room extension and a new office for the powerful executive committee has angered Cllr Jane Bramwell.

She would rather see the money given out to the cash-strapped Chiltern Citizens Advice Bureau, of which she is chairman.

However, the point is that since local councils around the country were forced to accept the biggest structural shake-up for 100 years, some of them need to adapt their buildings to suit the changes.

Is it really too much that a new office is to be built to house the executive committee meetings which are attended by the six most senior members of the council?

And should we really expect our local representatives to cram into a small and sweaty room to take a break and enjoy a few minutes of refreshment before launching into hours of planning applications and financial reports for which they get little reward.

No, of course not.

Council leader Don Phillips was right to be so strict with council money in the face of demands for more from the cash-strapped Chiltern CAB.

The figures speak for themselves.

Out of a total of £285,000 given to outside organisations by Chiltern District Council in 2001, £152,000 found its way to the CAB.

Okay, so the CAB does some extremely important work for vulnerable people but if it received more council cash it could only reduce the money given to other worthy groups which deserve the cash just as much.

But I must admit, I have a vested interest here.

When I go to Chiltern District Council meetings I always look forward to to the tea and biscuits.

So, to be honest, the more room councillors have to eat their sandwiches, cakes, savoury snacks and custard creams the better.

You never know - I might even get to try one of those delicious-looking sandwiches one of these days.