Bridge officers facing disciplinary action (From Free Press Series)

Bridge officers facing disciplinary action

COUNCIL chief Colin Berg will lead an investigation into whether disciplinary action should be taken over the handling of the Monnow Bridge project.

Monmouthshire councillors met behind closed doors to discuss the findings of a report by the Monnow Bridge Working Group which was set up to investigate a £1.2 million overspend on the new bridge.

The council resolved to accept the audit reports in full and required the corporate management team to act on recommendations as soon as possible.

Monmouthshire's Acting Head of Paid Services, Colin Berg, has also been asked to consider disciplinary action against any officers.

However, a third resolution by the Conservative Party calling on council leader David Waring to be removed from office was defeated.

Mr Berg confirmed this week that the report, which was leaked to the Free Press, would remain confidential.

He said: "I am appointing an independent investigator to look at the whole matter and decide on any disciplinary action that may be necessary."

The damning report into the way the building of Monmouth's new Monnow Bridge was handled slams the massive overspend.

The investigation by auditors and a working group of councillors found there was no reason why the flagship project - with an original budget cost of £1.4 million which rose to a cost of £2.6 million - could not have been put back into the 2004/5 year to help cut costs.

In fact, on the day the first sod was cut at the new bridge site, it was still being debated whether the project should even go ahead, says the report.