A councillor has called for a full review of the “ill-fated” Dunfermline Flood Prevention Scheme amid claims the costs could spiral to £30 million.
SNP councillor Neale Hanvey has raised his concerns with David Dempsey, chairman of Fife Council’s environment, finance and corporate services scrutiny committee.
As the works now appear to be drawing to a close under the control of new contractors, Mr Hanvey is asking the council to take “full and proper responsibility for the chaotic scheme, learn the lessons, apologise and appropriately compensate the many residents whose daily life has been blighted by the disruption over several years”.
Mr Hanvey, who has been seeking answers since his election in 2012, said: “While I made some progress at first with public meetings and taking the scheme to scrutiny committee, these efforts were effectively stopped by bureaucracy and process.
“Firstly, our deliberations were held in private because of commercial sensitivity, so the public remained in the dark.
“In addition, there was a further delay as a new contractor was found while also making, the now, failed attempt to seek compensation for Fife Council.
“However, now there is clear water between these matters and the new contractor is progressing in a way the scheme has never seen before, it is time that we all had a frank and honest look again at this scheme and how it went so wrong for such a very, very long time.”
Mr Hanvey raised concerns at Tuesday’s Fife Council executive committee in Glenrothes.
He said the scheme was effectively allowed to drop off the scrutiny committee’s radar in September despite a “no-show” of a detailed paper promised from officers in the spring.
He added: “It is completely unacceptable for the council to shrug its shoulders over this fiasco. It has cost the public purse over £25 million more than the original estimate of £3.9 million.
“Even if I accept the revised budget of approximately £11 million, we are still looking at almost £20m of public money frittered away while a community has suffered, in their words, undiluted hell.”
Derek Crowe, senior manager (roads and engineering services), said: “Following the difficulties experienced with our previous consultants and contractor, our main priority has been to get the Dunfermline Flood Prevention Scheme site works completed.
“Since the new contractor came on site the work has been progressing well on programme and we are confident of substantial completion by the end of December. The feedback we are getting from residents is now very positive and they are pleased with the work which is being done.
“We are aware that there are many questions which residents and the wider public may feel are unanswered but complex contractual disputes and ongoing legal proceedings are currently preventing us from being as open and transparent as we would like to be.
“However, a commitment has already been given that once the legal procedures are complete we will have a full and thorough review of the whole project.
“Until these legal processes are actually completed we are not in a position to say definitively how much the project will cost overall.
“However, the public can be reassured that the council is taking rigorous steps to recover significant sums of money that have arisen due to the failings of others involved in the project.”