# Council spending over £500 url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/councils/spending-over-500/ updated: 29 September 2026 licence: Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Figures: each source's own licence, listed under Sources. publisher: [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk) # Council spending over £500 Last updated 29 September 2026. Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/). English councils must publish every payment of £500 or more under the Local Government Transparency Code; Scottish and Welsh councils are not required to. Of the 38 councils checked so far, **24** publish files this site can read, covering **£24.35bn** of payments over their latest year. 10 publish none that could be found and 4 block automated downloads. Every other council is not yet collected. ## Key figures - 24Councils whose £500 data is read, of 38 checked - £24.35bnPayments covered, latest year each - 2,290,449Payments of £500 or more - 10Checked councils with no £500 data found ## Which councils publish usable data? A council counts as publishing usable data when its files for the last year can be downloaded and read automatically into one format. The list below is a first set of councils of every kind in all three nations; every other council is not yet collected. Gaps and problems in what each publishes are shown on its page. Search | Council | Status | Year covered | | --- | --- | --- | | Aberdeen City | No spending-over-£500 file foundno spend-over-£500 / supplier-payments publication found | — | | [Barnet](/councils/spending-over-500/barnet/) | Published and read | September 2025 to August 2026 | | [Birmingham](/councils/spending-over-500/birmingham/) | Published and read | August 2025 to July 2026 | | Brighton and Hove | Published, but the website blocks automated downloadsBrighton and Hove's website blocks automated downloads (a bot challenge), so the files can only be read in a browser. | — | | [Bristol](/councils/spending-over-500/bristol/) | Published and read | September 2025 to August 2026 | | [Cambridge](/councils/spending-over-500/cambridge/) | Published and read | October 2025 to September 2026 | | [Camden](/councils/spending-over-500/camden/) | Published and read | September 2025 to August 2026 | | Cardiff | No spending-over-£500 file foundnot published: council says spending over £500 is available only via FOI request | — | | [Cheltenham](/councils/spending-over-500/cheltenham/) | Published and read | September 2025 to August 2026 | | City of Edinburgh | No spending-over-£500 file foundno spend-over-£500 / supplier-payments publication found | — | | [Cornwall](/councils/spending-over-500/cornwall/) | Published and read | March 2025 to February 2026 | | [Croydon](/councils/spending-over-500/croydon/) | Published and read | September 2025 to August 2026 | | [Essex County Council](/councils/spending-over-500/essex-county-council/) | Published and read | September 2025 to August 2026 | | [Exeter](/councils/spending-over-500/exeter/) | Published and read | August 2025 to July 2026 | | Fife | No spending-over-£500 file foundno spend-over-£500 / supplier-payments publication found; site blocks curl | — | | Glasgow City | No spending-over-£500 file foundno spend-over-£500 / supplier-payments publication found | — | | [Hackney](/councils/spending-over-500/hackney/) | Published and read | August 2025 to July 2026 | | Hampshire County Council | Published, but the website blocks automated downloadsHampshire County Council's website blocks automated downloads (a bot challenge), so the files can only be read in a browser. | — | | Highland | No spending-over-£500 file foundno spend-over-£500 / supplier-payments publication found | — | | Kent County Council | Published, but the website blocks automated downloadsKent County Council's website blocks automated downloads (a bot challenge), so the files can only be read in a browser. | — | | Lancashire County Council | No spending-over-£500 file foundsearch tool only: payments available only through a Liberty Create (Netcall) search app that requires a month/year form query; no bulk file downloads listed | — | | [Leeds](/councils/spending-over-500/leeds/) | Published and read | July 2025 to June 2026 | | [Leicester](/councils/spending-over-500/leicester/) | Published and read | September 2025 to August 2026 | | [Liverpool](/councils/spending-over-500/liverpool/) | Published and read | July 2025 to June 2026 | | Manchester | Published, but the website blocks automated downloadsManchester's website blocks automated downloads (a bot challenge), so the files can only be read in a browser. | — | | [North Yorkshire](/councils/spending-over-500/north-yorkshire/) | Published and read | July 2025 to June 2026 | | [Norwich](/councils/spending-over-500/norwich/) | Published and read, with gaps | February 2025 to January 2026 | | [Nottingham](/councils/spending-over-500/nottingham/) | Published and read | August 2025 to July 2026 | | [Oxford](/councils/spending-over-500/oxford/) | Published and read | July 2025 to June 2026 | | [Plymouth](/councils/spending-over-500/plymouth/) | Published and read | September 2025 to August 2026 | | Rhondda Cynon Taf | No spending-over-£500 file foundno spend-over-£500 / supplier-payments publication found | — | | [Sheffield](/councils/spending-over-500/sheffield/) | Published and read | September 2025 to August 2026 | | [Surrey County Council](/councils/spending-over-500/surrey-county-council/) | Published and read | July 2025 to June 2026 | | Swansea | No spending-over-£500 file foundno spend-over-£500 / supplier-payments publication found | — | | [Tower Hamlets](/councils/spending-over-500/tower-hamlets/) | Published and read | August 2025 to July 2026 | | [Westminster](/councils/spending-over-500/westminster/) | Published and read | July 2025 to June 2026 | | [Wiltshire](/councils/spending-over-500/wiltshire/) | Published and read, with gaps | September 2025 to August 2026 | | Wrexham | No spending-over-£500 file foundno spend-over-£500 / supplier-payments publication found | — | ## Spending by category, council by council Each category is this site's classification of payments from the supplier's name and the council's own description, not the council's. It is shown as a share of each council's payments, because councils differ in size and in how much they contract out. **Payment card spending: share of each council's payments over £500 (our classification)** - 1. Leeds 1.3% £21,090,052 - 2. Essex County Council 0.0% £974,215 - 3. Birmingham 0.0% £0 - 4. Sheffield 0.0% £0 - 5. Bristol 0.0% £0 - 6. Liverpool 0.0% £0 - 7. Camden 0.0% £0 - 8. Hackney 0.0% £0 - 9. Surrey County Council 0.0% £0 - 10. Barnet 0.0% £0 - 11. Croydon 0.0% £0 - 12. Tower Hamlets 0.0% £0 - 13. Leicester 0.0% £0 - 14. Westminster 0.0% £0 - 15. Cornwall 0.0% £0 - 16. Nottingham 0.0% £0 - 17. Plymouth 0.0% £0 - 18. Cambridge 0.0% £0 - 19. Exeter 0.0% £0 - 20. Cheltenham 0.0% £0 - 21. Oxford 0.0% £0 - 22. Norwich 0.0% £0 - 23. Wiltshire 0.0% £0 - 24. North Yorkshire 0.0% £0 Payments the council marks as made by purchase or credit card, where its file says so. **Show as a table** | Name | Share of payments | | --- | --- | | 1. Leeds | 1.3% | | 2. Essex County Council | 0.0% | | 3. Birmingham | 0.0% | | 4. Sheffield | 0.0% | | 5. Bristol | 0.0% | | 6. Liverpool | 0.0% | | 7. Camden | 0.0% | | 8. Hackney | 0.0% | | 9. Surrey County Council | 0.0% | | 10. Barnet | 0.0% | | 11. Croydon | 0.0% | | 12. Tower Hamlets | 0.0% | | 13. Leicester | 0.0% | | 14. Westminster | 0.0% | | 15. Cornwall | 0.0% | | 16. Nottingham | 0.0% | | 17. Plymouth | 0.0% | | 18. Cambridge | 0.0% | | 19. Exeter | 0.0% | | 20. Cheltenham | 0.0% | | 21. Oxford | 0.0% | | 22. Norwich | 0.0% | | 23. Wiltshire | 0.0% | | 24. North Yorkshire | 0.0% | **Payments to other councils and public bodies: share of each council's payments over £500 (our classification)** - 1. Leeds 15.8% £261,013,601 - 2. Camden 12.5% £104,968,078 - 3. Cambridge 11.2% £14,997,392 - 4. Essex County Council 8.5% £249,352,424 - 5. Surrey County Council 7.3% £181,489,489 - 6. North Yorkshire 6.7% £34,877,040 - 7. Plymouth 6.7% £38,744,517 - 8. Nottingham 5.2% £33,776,075 - 9. Barnet 5.2% £37,422,440 - 10. Liverpool 4.8% £40,859,397 - 11. Croydon 4.6% £46,908,215 - 12. Birmingham 4.1% £77,462,265 - 13. Westminster 3.7% £48,260,828 - 14. Oxford 3.5% £5,469,363 - 15. Bristol 3.3% £25,580,513 - 16. Cheltenham 3.1% £2,185,733 - 17. Sheffield 2.9% £31,391,236 - 18. Hackney 2.8% £33,031,803 - 19. Leicester 2.5% £13,303,929 - 20. Exeter 2.4% £1,092,390 - 21. Norwich 2.1% £1,727,805 - 22. Tower Hamlets 1.7% £17,038,509 - 23. Wiltshire 1.5% £12,555,659 - 24. Cornwall 1.3% £39,802,153 The supplier is another council, a police, fire or NHS body, a government department or agency, or a pension fund. **Show as a table** | Name | Share of payments | | --- | --- | | 1. Leeds | 15.8% | | 2. Camden | 12.5% | | 3. Cambridge | 11.2% | | 4. Essex County Council | 8.5% | | 5. Surrey County Council | 7.3% | | 6. North Yorkshire | 6.7% | | 7. Plymouth | 6.7% | | 8. Nottingham | 5.2% | | 9. Barnet | 5.2% | | 10. Liverpool | 4.8% | | 11. Croydon | 4.6% | | 12. Birmingham | 4.1% | | 13. Westminster | 3.7% | | 14. Oxford | 3.5% | | 15. Bristol | 3.3% | | 16. Cheltenham | 3.1% | | 17. Sheffield | 2.9% | | 18. Hackney | 2.8% | | 19. Leicester | 2.5% | | 20. Exeter | 2.4% | | 21. Norwich | 2.1% | | 22. Tower Hamlets | 1.7% | | 23. Wiltshire | 1.5% | | 24. Cornwall | 1.3% | **Large outsourcing and contracting firms: share of each council's payments over £500 (our classification)** - 1. Birmingham 15.5% £292,030,334 - 2. Westminster 13.4% £175,630,012 - 3. Surrey County Council 11.0% £272,801,172 - 4. Sheffield 9.6% £105,511,609 - 5. Essex County Council 8.0% £234,809,127 - 6. Camden 7.9% £66,567,055 - 7. Oxford 5.6% £8,920,788 - 8. Plymouth 5.2% £30,048,600 - 9. Norwich 4.7% £3,902,650 - 10. Wiltshire 4.5% £36,981,133 - 11. Leicester 4.2% £22,043,250 - 12. Croydon 4.2% £42,653,539 - 13. Leeds 4.2% £68,530,294 - 14. Barnet 3.7% £26,294,755 - 15. North Yorkshire 3.5% £18,153,028 - 16. Nottingham 2.5% £16,169,230 - 17. Hackney 2.3% £26,647,291 - 18. Cornwall 1.8% £54,673,025 - 19. Exeter 1.5% £697,152 - 20. Liverpool 0.7% £6,093,350 - 21. Bristol 0.5% £4,159,286 - 22. Tower Hamlets 0.3% £2,836,193 - 23. Cambridge 0.1% £142,665 - 24. Cheltenham 0.0% £0 The supplier is one of a named list of large firms that run council services under contract. A payment to one is often a routine instalment on a long contract. **Show as a table** | Name | Share of payments | | --- | --- | | 1. Birmingham | 15.5% | | 2. Westminster | 13.4% | | 3. Surrey County Council | 11.0% | | 4. Sheffield | 9.6% | | 5. Essex County Council | 8.0% | | 6. Camden | 7.9% | | 7. Oxford | 5.6% | | 8. Plymouth | 5.2% | | 9. Norwich | 4.7% | | 10. Wiltshire | 4.5% | | 11. Leicester | 4.2% | | 12. Croydon | 4.2% | | 13. Leeds | 4.2% | | 14. Barnet | 3.7% | | 15. North Yorkshire | 3.5% | | 16. Nottingham | 2.5% | | 17. Hackney | 2.3% | | 18. Cornwall | 1.8% | | 19. Exeter | 1.5% | | 20. Liverpool | 0.7% | | 21. Bristol | 0.5% | | 22. Tower Hamlets | 0.3% | | 23. Cambridge | 0.1% | | 24. Cheltenham | 0.0% | **Legal fees: share of each council's payments over £500 (our classification)** - 1. Tower Hamlets 7.2% £73,717,029 - 2. Oxford 4.0% £6,259,711 - 3. Cambridge 2.7% £3,582,220 - 4. Nottingham 1.8% £11,354,586 - 5. Norwich 1.7% £1,454,486 - 6. Birmingham 1.4% £26,071,840 - 7. Hackney 1.1% £13,030,157 - 8. Wiltshire 1.1% £9,302,123 - 9. Sheffield 1.1% £12,283,729 - 10. Leicester 1.0% £5,120,568 - 11. Bristol 1.0% £7,527,597 - 12. Leeds 0.9% £15,465,007 - 13. Westminster 0.7% £9,784,473 - 14. Liverpool 0.6% £5,384,584 - 15. Exeter 0.6% £291,497 - 16. Camden 0.5% £4,581,140 - 17. Cheltenham 0.5% £359,877 - 18. Croydon 0.3% £2,804,502 - 19. Plymouth 0.2% £1,117,957 - 20. Surrey County Council 0.2% £4,119,843 - 21. Barnet 0.1% £1,057,648 - 22. Cornwall 0.1% £2,584,668 - 23. North Yorkshire 0.1% £409,927 - 24. Essex County Council 0.0% £1,268,033 The supplier is a law firm or chambers, or the council describes the payment as legal fees, counsel or court fees. **Show as a table** | Name | Share of payments | | --- | --- | | 1. Tower Hamlets | 7.2% | | 2. Oxford | 4.0% | | 3. Cambridge | 2.7% | | 4. Nottingham | 1.8% | | 5. Norwich | 1.7% | | 6. Birmingham | 1.4% | | 7. Hackney | 1.1% | | 8. Wiltshire | 1.1% | | 9. Sheffield | 1.1% | | 10. Leicester | 1.0% | | 11. Bristol | 1.0% | | 12. Leeds | 0.9% | | 13. Westminster | 0.7% | | 14. Liverpool | 0.6% | | 15. Exeter | 0.6% | | 16. Camden | 0.5% | | 17. Cheltenham | 0.5% | | 18. Croydon | 0.3% | | 19. Plymouth | 0.2% | | 20. Surrey County Council | 0.2% | | 21. Barnet | 0.1% | | 22. Cornwall | 0.1% | | 23. North Yorkshire | 0.1% | | 24. Essex County Council | 0.0% | **Consultancy and agency staff: share of each council's payments over £500 (our classification)** - 1. Exeter 12.9% £5,997,673 - 2. Bristol 10.9% £83,882,912 - 3. Cambridge 8.8% £11,793,263 - 4. Tower Hamlets 7.8% £80,090,693 - 5. Birmingham 7.5% £141,782,163 - 6. Liverpool 6.2% £52,981,049 - 7. Croydon 5.8% £59,384,855 - 8. Westminster 5.8% £75,500,563 - 9. Camden 5.7% £48,051,330 - 10. Hackney 5.6% £64,700,377 - 11. Wiltshire 5.0% £41,312,588 - 12. Oxford 4.8% £7,527,505 - 13. Nottingham 4.6% £29,712,169 - 14. Sheffield 4.0% £43,902,660 - 15. Leicester 3.4% £17,647,379 - 16. Barnet 2.5% £17,847,308 - 17. Plymouth 1.7% £9,862,664 - 18. North Yorkshire 1.6% £8,613,744 - 19. Cheltenham 1.4% £993,966 - 20. Essex County Council 1.0% £29,171,524 - 21. Norwich 0.8% £656,818 - 22. Surrey County Council 0.7% £17,410,528 - 23. Cornwall 0.5% £14,696,163 - 24. Leeds 0.5% £7,860,738 The supplier is a recruitment agency or consultancy on a named list, or the council describes the payment as consultancy, agency or interim staff, or professional fees. **Show as a table** | Name | Share of payments | | --- | --- | | 1. Exeter | 12.9% | | 2. Bristol | 10.9% | | 3. Cambridge | 8.8% | | 4. Tower Hamlets | 7.8% | | 5. Birmingham | 7.5% | | 6. Liverpool | 6.2% | | 7. Croydon | 5.8% | | 8. Westminster | 5.8% | | 9. Camden | 5.7% | | 10. Hackney | 5.6% | | 11. Wiltshire | 5.0% | | 12. Oxford | 4.8% | | 13. Nottingham | 4.6% | | 14. Sheffield | 4.0% | | 15. Leicester | 3.4% | | 16. Barnet | 2.5% | | 17. Plymouth | 1.7% | | 18. North Yorkshire | 1.6% | | 19. Cheltenham | 1.4% | | 20. Essex County Council | 1.0% | | 21. Norwich | 0.8% | | 22. Surrey County Council | 0.7% | | 23. Cornwall | 0.5% | | 24. Leeds | 0.5% | **IT and software: share of each council's payments over £500 (our classification)** - 1. North Yorkshire 2.9% £15,404,431 - 2. Birmingham 2.5% £47,920,551 - 3. Oxford 2.1% £3,348,995 - 4. Norwich 2.1% £1,762,567 - 5. Cheltenham 2.0% £1,375,598 - 6. Sheffield 1.9% £21,101,594 - 7. Camden 1.9% £15,714,679 - 8. Barnet 1.8% £12,762,257 - 9. Hackney 1.6% £18,573,457 - 10. Bristol 1.6% £12,177,129 - 11. Leicester 1.5% £8,080,227 - 12. Liverpool 1.5% £12,962,080 - 13. Wiltshire 1.4% £11,507,713 - 14. Nottingham 1.3% £8,657,843 - 15. Leeds 1.3% £21,345,799 - 16. Surrey County Council 1.2% £28,802,387 - 17. Tower Hamlets 1.1% £11,216,370 - 18. Westminster 1.0% £13,478,699 - 19. Exeter 1.0% £459,103 - 20. Croydon 1.0% £9,971,541 - 21. Cambridge 0.9% £1,170,558 - 22. Cornwall 0.4% £13,558,258 - 23. Essex County Council 0.4% £12,388,894 - 24. Plymouth 0.1% £325,070 The supplier is on a named list of IT and telecoms firms, or the council describes the payment as software, licences, IT, hardware, hosting or telephony. **Show as a table** | Name | Share of payments | | --- | --- | | 1. North Yorkshire | 2.9% | | 2. Birmingham | 2.5% | | 3. Oxford | 2.1% | | 4. Norwich | 2.1% | | 5. Cheltenham | 2.0% | | 6. Sheffield | 1.9% | | 7. Camden | 1.9% | | 8. Barnet | 1.8% | | 9. Hackney | 1.6% | | 10. Bristol | 1.6% | | 11. Leicester | 1.5% | | 12. Liverpool | 1.5% | | 13. Wiltshire | 1.4% | | 14. Nottingham | 1.3% | | 15. Leeds | 1.3% | | 16. Surrey County Council | 1.2% | | 17. Tower Hamlets | 1.1% | | 18. Westminster | 1.0% | | 19. Exeter | 1.0% | | 20. Croydon | 1.0% | | 21. Cambridge | 0.9% | | 22. Cornwall | 0.4% | | 23. Essex County Council | 0.4% | | 24. Plymouth | 0.1% | **Communications and PR: share of each council's payments over £500 (our classification)** - 1. Cheltenham 0.5% £324,167 - 2. Exeter 0.3% £153,233 - 3. Oxford 0.2% £317,617 - 4. Camden 0.1% £1,257,125 - 5. Bristol 0.1% £868,518 - 6. Cambridge 0.1% £129,346 - 7. Barnet 0.1% £660,503 - 8. Wiltshire 0.1% £752,114 - 9. Nottingham 0.1% £584,207 - 10. Westminster 0.1% £953,585 - 11. Hackney 0.1% £612,101 - 12. Sheffield 0.0% £532,063 - 13. Surrey County Council 0.0% £1,084,289 - 14. Essex County Council 0.0% £1,134,574 - 15. Leicester 0.0% £183,698 - 16. Norwich 0.0% £23,769 - 17. North Yorkshire 0.0% £125,016 - 18. Birmingham 0.0% £368,102 - 19. Liverpool 0.0% £144,383 - 20. Croydon 0.0% £159,298 - 21. Leeds 0.0% £114,406 - 22. Tower Hamlets 0.0% £38,901 - 23. Cornwall 0.0% £22,545 - 24. Plymouth 0.0% £0 The council describes the payment as advertising, marketing, publicity or public relations. Recruitment and statutory notices are left out. **Show as a table** | Name | Share of payments | | --- | --- | | 1. Cheltenham | 0.5% | | 2. Exeter | 0.3% | | 3. Oxford | 0.2% | | 4. Camden | 0.1% | | 5. Bristol | 0.1% | | 6. Cambridge | 0.1% | | 7. Barnet | 0.1% | | 8. Wiltshire | 0.1% | | 9. Nottingham | 0.1% | | 10. Westminster | 0.1% | | 11. Hackney | 0.1% | | 12. Sheffield | 0.0% | | 13. Surrey County Council | 0.0% | | 14. Essex County Council | 0.0% | | 15. Leicester | 0.0% | | 16. Norwich | 0.0% | | 17. North Yorkshire | 0.0% | | 18. Birmingham | 0.0% | | 19. Liverpool | 0.0% | | 20. Croydon | 0.0% | | 21. Leeds | 0.0% | | 22. Tower Hamlets | 0.0% | | 23. Cornwall | 0.0% | | 24. Plymouth | 0.0% | **Conferences and events: share of each council's payments over £500 (our classification)** - 1. Hackney 0.4% £4,505,430 - 2. Exeter 0.2% £74,856 - 3. Sheffield 0.1% £1,156,144 - 4. Surrey County Council 0.1% £1,593,124 - 5. Tower Hamlets 0.1% £578,783 - 6. Cambridge 0.0% £57,925 - 7. Barnet 0.0% £150,982 - 8. Nottingham 0.0% £120,182 - 9. Liverpool 0.0% £139,926 - 10. North Yorkshire 0.0% £85,731 - 11. Cheltenham 0.0% £8,013 - 12. Oxford 0.0% £14,635 - 13. Camden 0.0% £41,227 - 14. Leicester 0.0% £11,744 - 15. Bristol 0.0% £11,415 - 16. Leeds 0.0% £23,922 - 17. Wiltshire 0.0% £5,705 - 18. Birmingham 0.0% £4,710 - 19. Croydon 0.0% £1,400 - 20. Essex County Council 0.0% £3,337 - 21. Westminster 0.0% £0 - 22. Cornwall 0.0% £0 - 23. Plymouth 0.0% £0 - 24. Norwich 0.0% £0 The council describes the payment as a conference, seminar, exhibition, event or venue hire. **Show as a table** | Name | Share of payments | | --- | --- | | 1. Hackney | 0.4% | | 2. Exeter | 0.2% | | 3. Sheffield | 0.1% | | 4. Surrey County Council | 0.1% | | 5. Tower Hamlets | 0.1% | | 6. Cambridge | 0.0% | | 7. Barnet | 0.0% | | 8. Nottingham | 0.0% | | 9. Liverpool | 0.0% | | 10. North Yorkshire | 0.0% | | 11. Cheltenham | 0.0% | | 12. Oxford | 0.0% | | 13. Camden | 0.0% | | 14. Leicester | 0.0% | | 15. Bristol | 0.0% | | 16. Leeds | 0.0% | | 17. Wiltshire | 0.0% | | 18. Birmingham | 0.0% | | 19. Croydon | 0.0% | | 20. Essex County Council | 0.0% | | 21. Westminster | 0.0% | | 22. Cornwall | 0.0% | | 23. Plymouth | 0.0% | | 24. Norwich | 0.0% | **Travel and accommodation: share of each council's payments over £500 (our classification)** - 1. Liverpool 3.2% £27,294,342 - 2. Croydon 2.6% £26,280,530 - 3. Leicester 0.2% £1,144,800 - 4. North Yorkshire 0.2% £1,068,008 - 5. Westminster 0.1% £1,876,077 - 6. Bristol 0.1% £1,026,678 - 7. Barnet 0.1% £935,863 - 8. Essex County Council 0.0% £1,264,907 - 9. Birmingham 0.0% £806,788 - 10. Tower Hamlets 0.0% £297,227 - 11. Cornwall 0.0% £646,824 - 12. Cambridge 0.0% £10,380 - 13. Surrey County Council 0.0% £184,614 - 14. Sheffield 0.0% £60,317 - 15. Camden 0.0% £36,185 - 16. Hackney 0.0% £24,795 - 17. Norwich 0.0% £643 - 18. Leeds 0.0% £0 - 19. Nottingham 0.0% £0 - 20. Plymouth 0.0% £0 - 21. Exeter 0.0% £0 - 22. Cheltenham 0.0% £0 - 23. Oxford 0.0% £0 - 24. Wiltshire 0.0% £0 The council describes the payment as travel, fares, flights, subsistence or hotels. Homeless and temporary accommodation, and home to school and client transport, are left out. **Show as a table** | Name | Share of payments | | --- | --- | | 1. Liverpool | 3.2% | | 2. Croydon | 2.6% | | 3. Leicester | 0.2% | | 4. North Yorkshire | 0.2% | | 5. Westminster | 0.1% | | 6. Bristol | 0.1% | | 7. Barnet | 0.1% | | 8. Essex County Council | 0.0% | | 9. Birmingham | 0.0% | | 10. Tower Hamlets | 0.0% | | 11. Cornwall | 0.0% | | 12. Cambridge | 0.0% | | 13. Surrey County Council | 0.0% | | 14. Sheffield | 0.0% | | 15. Camden | 0.0% | | 16. Hackney | 0.0% | | 17. Norwich | 0.0% | | 18. Leeds | 0.0% | | 19. Nottingham | 0.0% | | 20. Plymouth | 0.0% | | 21. Exeter | 0.0% | | 22. Cheltenham | 0.0% | | 23. Oxford | 0.0% | | 24. Wiltshire | 0.0% | **Catering and hospitality: share of each council's payments over £500 (our classification)** - 1. Sheffield 0.9% £9,586,955 - 2. Camden 0.6% £4,843,550 - 3. Westminster 0.2% £2,798,991 - 4. North Yorkshire 0.2% £1,064,940 - 5. Cambridge 0.2% £237,548 - 6. Exeter 0.2% £74,894 - 7. Hackney 0.1% £1,641,804 - 8. Leicester 0.1% £449,456 - 9. Surrey County Council 0.1% £1,775,946 - 10. Nottingham 0.0% £287,877 - 11. Bristol 0.0% £309,716 - 12. Tower Hamlets 0.0% £395,513 - 13. Liverpool 0.0% £278,207 - 14. Oxford 0.0% £19,888 - 15. Leeds 0.0% £60,820 - 16. Essex County Council 0.0% £63,507 - 17. Cheltenham 0.0% £1,375 - 18. Croydon 0.0% £18,870 - 19. Barnet 0.0% £7,930 - 20. Birmingham 0.0% £15,461 - 21. Wiltshire 0.0% £2,431 - 22. Cornwall 0.0% £0 - 23. Plymouth 0.0% £0 - 24. Norwich 0.0% £0 The council describes the payment as catering, hospitality or refreshments. School meals are left out. **Show as a table** | Name | Share of payments | | --- | --- | | 1. Sheffield | 0.9% | | 2. Camden | 0.6% | | 3. Westminster | 0.2% | | 4. North Yorkshire | 0.2% | | 5. Cambridge | 0.2% | | 6. Exeter | 0.2% | | 7. Hackney | 0.1% | | 8. Leicester | 0.1% | | 9. Surrey County Council | 0.1% | | 10. Nottingham | 0.0% | | 11. Bristol | 0.0% | | 12. Tower Hamlets | 0.0% | | 13. Liverpool | 0.0% | | 14. Oxford | 0.0% | | 15. Leeds | 0.0% | | 16. Essex County Council | 0.0% | | 17. Cheltenham | 0.0% | | 18. Croydon | 0.0% | | 19. Barnet | 0.0% | | 20. Birmingham | 0.0% | | 21. Wiltshire | 0.0% | | 22. Cornwall | 0.0% | | 23. Plymouth | 0.0% | | 24. Norwich | 0.0% | ## What this data does and doesn't show - It is the council's own record of payments of £500 or more. It leaves out salaries, most staff costs and many internal costs, so it is not the council's whole spending. - Descriptions are the council's own and vary in quality; some are codes, some are blank, and some supplier names are withheld to protect individuals. - A large payment to one supplier is often a routine instalment on a long contract that was tendered openly. - The categories and the matching to services are this site's classification from keywords, not the council's. The rules are on the [methodology page](/methodology/#spend-over-500). ## Common questions Do all councils have to publish spending over £500? In England, yes: the Local Government Transparency Code 2015 requires every payment of £500 or more to be published at least quarterly. Scottish and Welsh councils are not bound by it, and many do not publish transaction-level data. ## Related pages - [Next in this section: Council senior pay and councillor allowances](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/councils/pay-and-allowances/) - [How much is council tax and what does it pay for?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/) - [Who is my MP, and what does their office cost?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/mps/) - [Where does my tax money actually go?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/for-every-100-pounds-of-tax/) ## More from this publisher - [UK tax calculators](https://howlongisit.co.uk) Published by [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). The figures belong to the publishers listed under Sources and are used under their licences. Figures last updated 29 September 2026.