Town Council Agree to Spend Thousands more on Annual Subscription for Email System

Members of Penrith Town council’s communities committee meeting on Monday have approved to spend another £4,815 on the renewal of its email marketing system used by the Council to build and design branded e-newsletters sent out via email on Council business, updates to subscribed audiences that are currently less than 8% of Penrith population. 

The council spent £7,560 in 2023 on an annual subscription and setup to use the gov delivery email platform to send its email updates to subscribers.

The system has seen low subscriber numbers with just 1,393 topic subscriptions with some subscribing to more than one topic.

Since the system was launched by the town council in June 2023 just 6984 e-newsletters have been sent out to subscribers putting the cost of each email sent since June 2023 at £1.08 to send plus associated staffing cost in producing the newsletter and administration of the system.

Questions over best value for the spending of public money were raised in 2023 when the council launched the email newsletter due to the costs involved and low subscriber uptake with the system. The further expenditure on the annual subscription by the town council has seen accusations of the council flushing public money down the drain by a candidate standing in the Penrith west by election.

Jonathan Davies speaking on Tuesday said “the town council are efficient in wasting public money but deliver little value for the public purse. The thousands spent on this email system is a prime example of the wasting of thousands of pounds paid for by households in Penrith.”

Despite the low number of subscribers and cost per email the town council said “ The performance of the account demonstrates a desire from the Penrith public to continue to be kept informed through this direct means of email communication.” “It is therefore proposed to continue using an email distribution platform for Council communication to enhance and build upon its other existing communication channels.”

Four candidates are standing in the Penrith West By Election on May 2nd for the vacant town council seat.

The candidates are:

Jonathan Davies - Putting People and Place First

Susan Davies – Liberal Democrats

Phil Laycock – Conservative Party Candidate

Daniel Sencier – Labour Party