The latest delay to the construction of Helensburgh’s new waterfront leisure centre will add an extra £170,000 to the cost, it has been claimed.
Dr Peter Brown, the vice-chairman of the town’s community council, also demanded to know why Argyll and Bute’s Helensburgh and Lomond councillors did not debate the matter in full when they met today.
A positioning statement on the new leisure centre was only placed on the agenda for noting as there was no decision to be made by the committee; costs have already risen to £19.5m.
Cllr Gary Mulvaney, who is leading the project, also pledged that there would be no repeat of the technical breach which led to the tendering process being restarted in late June.
The report stated that the ‘inadvertent issue’ occurred outwith the live tendering process, which has now been restarted.
Dr Brown said during public question time at the committee’s meeting: “Would the councillors care to comment on why you are only noting the report on the waterfront, despite announcing a seven-month delay, caused by the council tendering process?
“A one-year delay would increase the cost by 1.5%, so a seven-month delay requires the council to find £170,000.
“This reduces the opportunity to draw the slide and other facilities that the community clearly desires. Instead it is paying for a technical breach.
“A concerning mistake has been made costing council taxpayers £170,000. Has an investigation been conducted and how are you ensuring that another mistake will not be made, which will mean our ageing current pool has to last longer?”
Cllr Mulvaney said in relation to why the report was only for nothing: “Within the council standing orders, there is no decision to be made.
“There will be points where the area committee will be required to make a decision but that will be later in the process.”
He then said: “All information in relation to the matter which saw the tendering process restarted was communicated by the executive director and chief executive at the end of June.
“Every member had a phone call explaining the issues and what we needed to do.
“I don’t accept that it is a flawed bid. The invitation to tender was properly issued, fully compliant with regulations.
“The issue was around communication. Without going into detail, a potential tenderer asked a question and the response was provided by a council officer.
“It should have gone through the procurement team, and should have been available through the procurement portal, visible to all.
“That meant that when the council took advice, there would be a potential risk of challenge had we proceeded.
“The legal advice we received was that the least risky approach would be to stop the tendering process and restart it, and that was what we did.
“Officers have looked at the wording and have made it clear that any questions must go through the procurement team, so there is no ambiguity.
“It was a mistake – we all make them, I am sure everybody around the table has made them, and I know I have made my fair share.
“It is a case of needing to learn lessons from them, and on that basis we move forward.
“Everybody is keen for the project to start. During the early part of next year, a decision about the full business case will come back to the area committee.
“The costs and estimates are best guesses. Until we go out to tender we don’t know what the costs will be.
“Once we have tenders and they have been evaluated, we will be in a position to bring full business case.”
Dr Brown then responded: “Could the councillors advise of where the council has made a £170,000 mistake in the past?”
Council leader Aileen Morton said: “It is incredibly frustrating to have this delay, but in terms of bringing it into the area committee, we would expose it to risk as we in a live procurement process.”
And Cllr Ellen Morton added: “The procurement process is very rigidly bound by law.
“We are fortunate that we have experienced councillors who sit on the planning, protective services and licensing committee who are used to dealing with sensitive legal and planning rules.”
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