COUNCIL chiefs have pledged to stop printing their taxpayer-funded newspaper in future years amid renewed concerns the publication is not needed at a time of acute public service cuts.

Torfaen council made the cost-saving pledge after figures revealed that printing the free sheet six times a year cost around £29,000.

It said it could not give an overall budget for the publication, called Torfaen Talks, as staff who produce the publication also fulfil other roles.

The newspaper is distributed to 40,000 homes, but campaigners believe some taxpayers do not read it and the printing costs could be diverted to protect frontline services threatened by council cuts.

Torfaen residents including Ray Watkins are planning to present a petition next month calling on the Labour council to stop printing the publication and move to an online-only version.

“Torfaen council is cutting services whilst increasing our council tax this year by 4.75 per cent,” their petition reads.

“In the last four years, council tax has increased by almost 15 per cent, yet it continues to waste money by printing its own self-praising newspaper called Torfaen Talks.

“We the undersigned demand that Torfaen council ceases publishing paper copies of Torfaen Talks to save money and divert that money to necessary frontline services that have been savagely cut.”

Mr Watkins, 42, of St Dials, said: “In this day and age the majority of people have got smart phones.

“Personally I do not want it. I don’t want it coming through my door.”

Cwmbran consultant David Simpson said other councils had stopped printing taxpayer-funded publications.

Mr Watkins, 49, said: “How can Torfaen council spend thousands and thousands of pounds on a self-praising paper?”

Torfaen council executive member for resources, Cllr Anthony Hunt, said: “The net cost of Torfaen Talks was £29,100 for six editions this year, or put more simply, about 12p per copy for each home.

“Torfaen Talks remains one of our most efficient ways of getting council news to the public and it regularly includes statutory information that we are obliged by law to inform residents about, which would otherwise incur costs if Torfaen Talks was not used.

“Simply stopping Torfaen Talks would limit our ability and responsibility to inform and engage with our residents.

“Every year, all corners of the council are being challenged to cut budgets and changes to print and distribution has already reduced Torfaen Talks’ annual cost,” he added.

“Over the next few years, as people do more online, Torfaen Talks will be phased out and replaced by digital channels.”

The Torfaen Talks petition can be found at petitionbuzz.com