An unelected planning boss has spent more than £50,000 on taxis over the past year - for the second year in a row.
James Braithwaite, part-time chairman of the South East England Development Agency, was slammed after he ran up a £53,803 on journeys across eight counties – a figure up on last year's controversial bill.
And the official - who claims he travels 35,000 miles a year - is only contracted to work three days a week in his post funded by taxpayers.
It means the 55-year-old - who has in the past claimed £93,000 for 'secretarial expenses' - spends an astonishing £340 a day on executive car and taxi hire.
The official, who receives the cash along with a £76,000 a year salary - was blasted by campaign group the Taxpayers’ Alliance, who called for him to resign.
Spokesman Mark Wallace said: “It is absolutely staggering that Mr Braithwaite has not only ignored criticism of his wasteful spending last year - but he has actually increased it.
“He has shown complete contempt for the public and he should consider stepping down.
“This is the second year in a row he has been pulled up on his spending and it just goes to show that unelected bodies like Seeda are running roughshod over the taxpayer.
“Mr Braithwaite is an absolutely appalling example of this.”
The figures were revealed under Freedom of Information laws after a request from maverick Lib Dem MP Norman Baker.
Lewes MP Mr Baker slammed the big spender and demanded an investigation.
He said: “"People like Mr Braithwaite are given enormous powers and unlimited access to public budgets and there is no-one apart from the Secretary of State that can remove them.”
The Freedom of Information Act request revealed Seeda spent £4,032 on taxis and £49,276 for Mr Braithwaite's driver and car in the year up to March.
In 2006 Mr Braithwaite was slammed for spending £51,489 on executive car journeys - to attend strategic planning meetings on housing, roads and transport.
His job is to promote the region to big business, encouraging them to invest in huge development projects like the Thames Gateway.
But the 2006 figure was more than 10 times any Commons MP spent on third-party car travel and more than his counterparts in the eight other regional agencies combined.
But Mr Braithwaite defended his travel bills, saying he does 35,000 miles a year in the largest region in the country.
Seeda covers the counties of Kent, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Surrey and East and West Sussex, an area of 19,000 sq kms.
He told BBC Southern Counties Radio: "This region is the largest in the country.
“I have to look after eight million people, and 700,000 businesses, of which I try to visit as many as possible.
"I'm also on call to ministers, to MPs and I travel around.
"I do a lot of travel by train when I possibly can, but if I'm in a town and I want to visit one business after another or visit the local councils, I have to use a car."
A Seeda spokesperson said Mr Braithwaite worked more than his contracted three days per week and car transport was a "cost-effective use of his working time".
She said: "James Braithwaite uses public transport where possible, but very often car travel is the only available option.
"He uses a car and driver as a mobile office - making phone calls and reading working papers while 'on the go'."
Seeda was also blasted in 2006 for spending £598,000 running 10 overseas offices.
A representative in Stuttgart, Germany, was paid £89,000 for eight months’ part-time work.
And in March 2007, a few weeks before film stars descended on the French Riviera, eight of the nine development agencies decided it was essential to send a contingent to a property trade fair in swish Cannes.
They took 13 staff to Mipim, a four-day event based in the Palais des Festivals, spending £24,000 on dinner, brunch and other events at the exhibition.
POSTED: 15/06/2008 08:00:00
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