Fears over the number of new jobs created at Richmond upon Thames Council in the past year have been voiced by opposition councillors.

Since the Liberal Democrats came into power in May 2006, a new sustainability manager has been appointed and a climate change officer, plus nine other jobs in the environmental department.

Council leader Serge Lourie now also has a PA, where his predecessor Tony Arbour did not.

Conservative councillor Pamela Fleming said: "As part of my responsiblity for monitoring staff increases, I shall be asking the leader for regular updates on the new posts created.

"One of the first posts after the election was the appointment of a PA for the leader, never needed before, plus many others.

"Many of these new appointees then create teams of their own. And there are now strong reports that more new posts are in the pipeline.

"I want to know whether all these new posts are really necessary to improve the efficiency and delivery of services.

"When council tax has just been increased to the maximum permitted by the Government and the elderly and vulnerable have seen cuts in social services, is this the most effective way to spend taxpayers' money?

"All too often the solution to any problem identifed by the council is to appoint more bureaucrats."

Deputy council leader, councillor Stephen Knight, said: "For an organisation our size, it is a relatively small number of posts overall. The former council leader had a PA provided for him by the London Assembly, because he is an elected member there. The way in which a modern leader works involves having a PA. Serge Lourie works full-time in the office and most council leaders have a full-time support team.

"The new posts in the environment are being funded entirely out of the the projects they are working on."