SWITCHING from paper printouts to shiny new iPads will save Gloucester City Council £27,500 over the next three years, councillors claim.
But splashing out on new the Apple tablets, priced at around £370 for the cheapest 16G device, will cost tax payers around £13,320 if, as expected, all 36 councillors take up the offer.
A three-year contract to use the Modern.gov app, offering secure access to exempt papers, will see an additional start-up cost of £1,000, and then £350 each year after.
The council currently spends around £12,000 on printing agendas and reports for meetings annually.
City Councillor Andy Lewis, (C, Quedgeley and Severn Vale) backed the move.
"It will be easy to criticise the initial expense, but we will be saving a considerable amount of money over a period of time," he said.
In 2011-12, more than 270,000 pages were printed by the council, which claims the switch will be more environmentally sound too.
The cost of posting agendas to councillors also tops £4,000 a year. Apple was chosen ahead of Android alternatives as it works better with Government applications to view council agendas.
Gordon Taylor, who chairs the planning committee, said: "This will allow us to be more efficient when accepting late amendments, rather than having to print off additional documents and circulate them at the last minute."
Councillors are currently provided with either a smart phone or laptop and printer for council work. They are also entitled to a broadband connection paid for by the council and £10 monthly allowance for costs.
Eleanor McGrath, Campaign Manager of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "The council should try to avoid wasting paper, but iPads are a premium product with a premium price tag. The council must be very clear that savings are being achieved.
"Taxpayers expect value for money, not for the council to spend it on buying expensive gadgets when more cost effective alternatives are available."
