Bridge probe reveals major errors (From Free Press Series)

Bridge probe reveals major errors

AN investigation has been held into massive failings in the new Monnow Bridge scheme, which resulted in a £1.2 million overspend.

Auditors and councillors have looked into why the Monnow Bridge project, which had an original budget of £1.4 million, more than doubled in cost by the end of the scheme.

The massive overspend is being blamed on failures in project management, which resulted in the full cost not being identified at an early stage. The overspend was reported to the council in July 2003 and the Monnow Bridge Working Group was set up to investigate.

Monmouthshire council is due to meet behind closed doors on April 29 to discuss the findings of the investigation.

Councillors have also been gagged to prevent them revealing details of the investigation report.

Steve Greenslade, the director of resources and customer services, said: "The review into the Monnow Bridge overspend was undertaken jointly by Internal and External Audit, reporting to a members working group.

"The audit report, together with a further report from the members working group, was recently considered by the RCS select committee in preparation for a confidential debate at a full council meeting on 29 April 2004.

"The audit report identified failing in project management as the reason why the full cost of this project had not been identified early enough. "The select committee has accepted all of the recommendations of the audit report and many have already been enacted."

The report by the Monnow Bridge Working Group has been carefully worded so as not to identify officers and employees of the council, although politicians are named.

The investigation by the working group took place between September 2003 and March this year, but members are prevented from disclosing any details.

Cllr Graham Down, a member of the working group, said: "It was a matter of identifying why council wasn't told that the cost was almost twice of that it had budgeted for. The purpose of the investigation was to ask the question who knew what and when.

"It was appallingly badly handled, but in terms of detail I am gagged. The working group investigated whether regulations set up to protect the proper use of public money were followed.

"The working groups main deliberations were on the process between the actual tender and the execution of the work and whether the processes in place were sufficiently robust."