The Conservative administration has been accused of adopting a "junket culture" after the figure was revealed through a Freedom of Information Act request by the Chronicle & Echo.

The bill for Highgate House, a 17th century house in Creaton which has been transformed into a conference centre, comes despite the county council already having meeting rooms available at both County Hall and Knuston Hall, in Irchester, which it owns.

And it comes just a week after the authority announced it had made a £2.3m overspend despite a raft of cuts to frontline services over the past two years. A council spokesman said the bill for hiring external facilities had reduced over the past three years.

But opposition politicians have condemned the expenditure as "extravagant" and "disgraceful".

The figures date back to when the Conservatives took control of the authority in May 2005. On one occasion – April 11, 2007 – the authority racked up a bill for £20,066 while another booking just 12 days after the Tories took over power, cost almost £13,000.

Labour group leader, Councillor John McGee (Lab, Kingswood) said: "This council is always shouting about not having enough money and they are holding their meetings and conferences at this hotel.

"It's a disgrace and they should be held to account. We were struggling to get money for meals on wheels and this Tory-run administration can spend all this money at a privately-run hotel. There is a junket culture within the administration."

Councillor Brian Hoare (Lib Dem, Abington) said the "disgraceful" spend was the equivalent to £425 a day.

Conservative councillor Maureen Hill (Con, Weston) said: "I am concerned that as this council has a £2.3m overspend, has several schools in special measures, appears to be struggling with the sale of the school sites, that this figure of £320,000 might appear to the public as extravagant. I look forward to a justifiable explanation as to why this taxpayers' money was spent in this way."

The county council says the amount of money spent on conference facilities has reduced over the last three years.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council said: "These figures are largely historical and as a council we have since reviewed our approach to hiring external venues, balancing the most cost-effective option with the choice that is also best suited to the job.

"This is clearly indicated in the figures which demonstrate a year on year reduction in the amount of money being spent in this way."

County Hall's bill for Highgate House in 2005-06 was £155,260.27, falling to £80,908.69 the following year and then £76,293.46 in 2007-08.
"We are currently in the process of recruiting for five director posts and it is intended that the interviews for these posts will be carried out at Knuston Hall and County Hall as appropriate."

She said a two-day interview process for the new chief executive held last year at Highgate House had included accommodation for both the interview panel and candidates to enable them to take part in an evening and an early breakfast session the following day.

Leader of the council Jim Harker (Con, Kettering rural) said council officers had been responsible for making the Highgate House bookings for recruitment, job interviews, meetings and conferences.

He said: "Obviously the council like any authority does from time-to-time have to hire various types of accommodation for various events.
"I would always be keen to make sure that the best value for money along with the best accommodation is found."
Cllr Harker said Highgate House provided "quality" accommodation in "appropriate circumstances".