Prepared to be amazed and shocked.
Stephen Taylor, District auditor (who by the way told us that he always checks VentnorBlog to find out what’s _really_ happening on the Island) has revealed that the Undercliff Drive investigations cost rocketed from an original estimate of £50,000 to £1,300,000.
Pretty surprising, but what’s even more amazing is that the people at the Council who commissioned the solicitors to investigate the following of the council procurement procedures … didn’t even follow their own procurement procedures, when awarding the work.
The work was awarded to Wragge and Co. before all bids had been received.
As reported in the CP, Mr Taylor told members: “As costs grew, there was an opportunity for the council to re-tender but that did not happen. A detailed project plan should have been prepared and that did not happen. I have to conclude the council could have done it cheaper.”
This is the same council that doesn’t want to spend £110k on providing free swimming to build the fitness of the under 16s and over 60s for a year.
This is reported ‘in the dark’ due to VentnorBlog being cut off by the council’s ‘communication’ department.
With things like this going on by some in the IW Council, is there any wonder?
Thanks to kevin1746 who brought this up on the VentnorBlog Forum.
