AN INVESTIGATION has revealed the true cost of the controversial Minerals Plan – and it does not make for pleasant reading for campaigners or even Surrey County Council.

More than £250,000 has been spent on consultation fees since work started on Surrey's Minerals Plan in 2003.

And, as protestors point out, this taxpayers' money is being used to fund a plan that does not need to be submitted.

A Freedom of Information request into the county council's coffers has found out the true extent of the money thrown into the current Minerals Plan.

The exact figure of £268,512 represents the amount of money spent on Surrey Minerals Plan consultations from 2003 to August 22, 2010.

However, this does not include elements which were not separately itemised, such as the contacts database set up jointly for the waste plan, Minerals Plan and statement of community involvement, and some printing and postage.

Amanda Griffiths, of the Oxted and Limpsfield Residents Group, was angry at the outlay of taxpayers' money.

She said: "I suspect residents will be outraged to learn that, yet again, our taxes are being used to pay private companies for services that we would have expected our council officers to provide.

"My real concern is that this figure of a quarter of a million pounds only deals with the consultation costs of the plan, and not the whole scheme.

"Our worry is that this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of council spending."

The breakdown of the costs:

Consultations – including a report on Potential Mineral Zones, proposed documents for submission to Secretary of State and consultation on the revised Environment report.

Workshops and exhibitions – includes public meetings, stakeholder workshops and local exhibitions.

Expenditure – printing of most consultation documents, creation of website for online responses and mailout of notification letters.

The county council's Lynne Hack, cabinet member for the environment, said they are standing firm behind the current Minerals Plan which has outraged the whole district.

She said: "Unless there is new legislation or we receive new robust evidence to suggest otherwise, we feel as though we have come up with the best possible plan."