Council spending (From Free Press Series)

Council spending

A £1million overspend on the Power Station in Cwmbran has forced Torfaen council to improve its project management.

A report by the Education and Young People's scrutiny committee urged cabinet to take steps after poor project management, poor financial management, and a lack of clarity in decision making was blamed for the £1 million overspend.

The council was advised to set up project management boards, whose duties would include:

l Agreeing the cost of all future projects before going to cabinet, l Monitoring projects and report back regularly to the board and scrutiny committees,

Any variations to project costs should go to the board and the cabinet for approval.

Chair of the scrutiny committee, Bill King, said the educational building The Power Station was a 'flagship project' and warned "if we pulled out now there would be payments to be made."

"We are recommending that you give consideration to having independent project managers. Their role will be to keep an over view. Anyone who is involved with project management should have proper industry training," he added.

Councillor John Turner agreed that something had to be done. He said: "We are failing to manage these major projects properly so it is a good idea to make changes.

"We have been taking far too much risk ourselves and we have to have contracts that tie the contractor to a particular deal. Unless we have that there is nothing to tie them to the contract. That must be a key element in any changes."

Cabinet will consider the completed review into project management in spring this year.