CAMPAIGNERS plan to picket next week’s mayoral inauguration ceremony claiming its estimated £30,000 cost is “disgusting”.

Anti-cuts group Greenwich Save Our Services (SOS) will protest outside the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College on Wednesday where Councillor Jim Gillman will be inaugurated in front of around 350 people.

Protestors have blasted the cost of the ceremony at a time of austerity and following a £48.6m cuts package by the Greenwich Council.

Branch secretary of the Unite 2050 union Onay Kasab said: “This is a disgusting waste of money at a time when the council claims that it hasn’t got enough money to fund jobs and services.

“While members of my branch don’t know if they will be able to put food on the table the councillors will be living it up and we’ll be paying for it.

“That money should used to fund services like libraries, care for the sick and elderly, schools and parks. Council workers will rightly see this as a slap in the face.”

Greenwich SOS spokesman Paul Callanan said: “This is an absolute travesty. We have seen the biggest attacks on education in generation and the council wants throw a party.”

Leader of Greenwich Conservatives Councillor Spencer Drury has dismissed the ceremony as “a waste of money and time”.

He said: “I haven’t been since the first year.

News Shopper: Spencer Drury “I can see no valid reason for this event taking place. It’s there as project for the council.”

A Greenwich Council spokesman said: “The council is very mindful of the need to secure value for money and has taken steps to reduce the cost of this year’s event.

“The Old Royal Naval College has generously offered to waive the venue hire costs for this year in recognition of the importance of the event.

"The inauguration of the mayor is an important event in the civic life of the borough, enabling the council and its new mayor to meet the increasing number of key stakeholders in our community.

"This year it has an added poignancy in that the incoming mayor will represent the borough as it assumes royal status from January 1 2012.”

The protest will start at 7.30pm.

Greenwich Council hasn’t cut the ceremony this year but it has...

Cut £118,000 grant to Youth Reach charity, which helped 350 at risk youngsters this year.

Axed £71,352 grant to Blackheath Halls, despite a petition signed by 2,061 people.

Put up parking permits by an average of £42.

Dropped £2,000 funding to Plumstead Make Merry festival, causing this year’s event to be abandoned.

Agreed to stop £43,000 funding of Maryon Wilson Animal Park.

Doubled the cost of day centres from £2.20 to £5 per day.

Spent £500,000 making 12 staff redundant from its human resources department, then replacing them with 11 new ones.

Pulled out of its £35,000 contribution to the Blackheath fireworks display.