'We shouldn't carry blame' for town centre works being £12m over budget says councillor

Cllr Mark Skillicorn said the public should “be reassured that elected councillors are on their side.” Last week, an internal investigation report prompted by works in Birkenhead town centre being £12m over budget and a year behind schedule was published by Wirral Council.

The inquiry was announced by local authority leader Cllr Paula Basnett shortly after her election to the top job in May. The revamp of Grange Road, Europa Boulevard, Charing Cross, and Conway Street is meant to make the area more attractive and the project has previously had support from all parties at various points.

However, the project has come under fire from both the public and councillors over its management. The new report makes clear how much the project was off to a bad start, with the scheme around £4m over budget before work even started. A pressure to meet deadlines also caused problems.

The report highlighted a lack of capacity within the council to deliver the scheme, frustration among officers over its management, a lack of transparency over issues, a high turnover of staff in the council’s regeneration department, and a breach of contract rules. Councillors and the public were also not updated on the problems.

Wirral Council has been in no overall political control for several years, which means decisions taken by councillors need more than one party supporting them at the very least. In July, the LDRS previously asked those who were high up in the council up until May what they knew.

Cllr Paul Stuart, who was council leader, said he didn’t know about the overspend and “would rather not answer any questions on this” while Cllr Tony Jones, who chaired the regeneration committee, said he had “no comment whatsoever” on any questions put forward. Conservative leader Cllr Jeff Green did not say when he first found out about the overspend.

Now acting Chief Executive Jason Gooding said they “are already taking decisive steps to get a firm grip on the wider regeneration programme” while Cllr Basnett has promised “the coming weeks will mark a clear turning point for this council”.

Cllr Mark Skillicorn, who now chairs the local authority’s regeneration committee, said there would be changes going forward, adding: “Full credit to the leadership and acting chief executive for pushing through these investigations rapidly and effectively.

“As recently appointed chair of the regeneration committee, I am also grateful to my new team of committee members from all parties for their commitment to the seriousness and importance of the task ahead. It’s clear from this report elected councillors should not carry the blame for officer, staff or contractor operational errors and decisions.

“I would urge residents to be reassured that elected councillors are on their side and are as appalled as they must be by this unacceptable situation. We are determined that this won’t happen again. The report shows that we were right to investigate how this regeneration scheme was being handled.

“The findings will serve as a lesson to all involved and ensure that the new teams tasked with running such projects for Wirral give councillors honest and transparent reports into their work and that from now on, much-needed regeneration is delivered on time, on budget, and to a standard expected by council taxpayers. What was happening previously simply isn’t acceptable.

“Poor officer oversight led to mistakes which should have been avoidable and which will have impacted other regeneration projects. This report makes it clear that the new teams of officers need to provide councillors with far more comprehensive and honest information from now on, and that is exactly what we will ensure that they do.

“We want to give Birkenhead and its people quality surroundings, vibrant neighbourhoods, modern successful retail areas, and to celebrate its proud heritage. Doing nothing is not an option, but what we do must be done well.”