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Highland Council warned over claims West Link road costs could spiral

New sports facilities will be built at Canal Park as part of the West Link project
New sports facilities will be built at Canal Park as part of the West Link project

A public spending watchdog has criticised Highland Council for failing to provide updates on the cost of the controversial Inverness West Link road amid claims the bill could exceed £60million.

Audit Scotland has again urged the local authority to produce more financial information – a year after a similar warning went unheeded.

The council has not provided an update since September last year, despite the caution from auditors that regular reports were required on projected costs due to the scale of the project.

Last night, a leading critic of the contentious road scheme claimed the council had “ignored” Audit Scotland and adopted a “patronising attitude” to the process.

But the council insisted that details of the costs would be presented to elected members next month.

A report prepared by Audit Scotland for a meeting of the council’s audit and scrutiny committee on Thurdas states: “In last year’s report we highlighted that, given the scale of investment required in the project, it is important that members continue to receive regular updates on cost so that they are able to effectively monitor developments.”

The report adds that the council’s current arrangements “do not ensure adequate scrutiny of performance”.

The most recent estimate of costs for the bypass was £34million.

This would deliver a second swing bridge over the Caledonian Canal and a low-level bridge over the river, known as option six.

But the figure did not take account of the cost of providing a new golf course, sports hub and rugby club as part of the scheme, which could increase the cost by many more millions.

Highland Council have said that a report will be prepared for a full council outlining updated costs in December.

John West, chairman of Inverness Civic Trust has been an long-standing opponent of the plans. He criticised both Highland Council for failing to provide updates and Audit Scotland for not enforcing their recommendations.

He said: “The report confirms that Highland Council ignored Audit Scotland’s request of last year to update members and the public.

“This could be down to one of two reasons, they don’t know the figures themselves, or for their own reasons ‘we are not telling you’.

“The fact that AS have to repeat the request for a second year would indicate a patronising attitude on the part of the council and a lack of insistence on the part of Audit Scotland.”

Planning permission was granted for the new road in April this year.

Last week, it was revealed that a public inquiry will be held early next year, after landowners on or near the proposed route registered objections to compulsory purchase orders issued in connection with the route.

In the report, Audit Scotland said the council had told them there had been no updates on the financial position due to the planning process taking longer than expected.

Mr West said that by his estimates, costs may have risen to £65million as a result of the delay.

He added: “The replacement of the sporting facilities is a farce as the present arrangements, although always capable of improvement, are valued and seen as adequate by most Invernessians.

“The inquiry will demonstrate the financial madness of the council’s position and underline that the only people to benefit from option six will be the developers, who will gain from the area being opened up and serviced at public expense.”

A spokeswoman for Highland Council said: “This is a significant project and costs are currently being reviewed as part of a wider review of the council’s capital plan.

“The resources committee receives regular monitoring reports, but the council will investigate how these can be enhanced.

“This shows that the council will take appropriate action to look at improving its reporting arrangements by the end of December 2014.

“A report will be brought to full council after December including updated costs.”