Dundee City Council has been accused of wasting public money by spending twice as much as it needed to on blinds for its £34 million office.
An unsuccessful bidder for the contract likened the council’s decision to place the £52,000 order with a Stirling company to a car buyer choosing a Mercedes instead of a Ford.
Staff in Dundee House complained about the incessant daylight glare at the North Lindsay Street building and called for better shielding. Council chiefs agreed there was a problem and sought bids from companies to supply and fit 200 open mesh roller blinds.
David Browne of the Farbic Shop, Ainslie Street, proposed what he described as ”a very acceptable and practical solution” for less than £27,000 and was astonished when the council awarded the contract to Goldcrest Furnishings of Stirling for £52,562.
He proposed a similar, but much more economic product, which his company has successfully installed in other public sector offices and which would have saved the council and ultimately the public purse over £26,000.
”Yes, we would have liked to win the order, but our company is doing well, ” he said. ”Our services are sought all over Scotland and we buck the current economic trend.
”I’m not speaking out just because we weren’t successful with this one. It is the amount of money that the council has spent that staggers me and a lot of others in the window-covering industry.
”Our solution would have saved the council a lot of money that I’m sure would be needed for much more important areas than shading council workers from the sun.
”My point is that provided it meets the regulations, a roller blind is a roller blind why does the council need to buy the UK’s most expensive roller blinds?
”This is like a car buyer needing a vehicle to get him from A to B and choosing a Mercedes instead of a Ford. This extravagance in the extreme needs to be highlighted. How many other tenders are being accepted at exorbitant rates?”
Local authorities are operating under severe financial pressure, and Dundee City Council had to find savings of £18.5 million over the last two years to balance budgets and maintain essential services.
Mr Browne added: ”Awards of this nature in the current economic climate do Dundee and its ratepayers a great disservice.”
In a statement, Dundee City Council said: ”The Scottish procurement process, which has clear and prescriptive compliance requirements, is a nationally agreed programme to seek best value for public bodies which Dundee City Council has to follow.
”The council submitted a detailed specification through the Public Contracts Scotland Portal and the successful compliant bidder was awarded the contract based on this.
”We also took steps to maximise the awareness of local firms to the availability of this contract during the process. Alternative products could be submitted, but only within clear compliance requirements. No competent bids like this within the tendering conditions were put forward.
”Dundee City Council provides feedback to unsuccessful bidders and offers an opportunity for a meeting to expand on this. The award-winning Dundee House is the council’s new flagship headquarters and this major construction project was delivered on budget.”