Tuesday 30 September 2014

Leaked Report - Roads and Transport


It has been brought to the Conservative’s Group attention that a long awaited report into the Council’s Roads and Transport function has been leaked and is in the possession of the Evening News. 
 
Cllr Mowat and Rose have asked for this report to be shared with councillors so it is a shock to see the findings reported in the paper before councillors have had the opportunity to scrutinise the findings.

 The findings (as reported) are truly shocking - £260 million is required to bring roads up to standard, the department has been mismanaged, there is a lack of proper accounting and a failure to control costs.  In today’s paper (Tuesday)  there is additional information about using unsuitable materials to carry out repairs – which could have been done better for less.  This needs proper scrutiny now.
 
The text of an open letter from Councillor Joanna Mowat, Conservative Group Transport Spokesman, is as follows:
 
"Dear Councillor Hinds
 OPEN LETTER TO  COUNCILLOR LESLEY HINDS
 I was shocked to be contacted by the Evening News to say that they had a copy of a leaked report which was commissioned to look at the management of the Roads and Transport Departments of the Council.  Like many Councillors on the Transport and Environment Committee I was aware that such a report had been commissioned and had attended a briefing on the interim findings.  Despite myself, and Cllr Rose asking for further reports or updates on this report nothing further has been forthcoming.  Indeed the response from a senior officer was that this was an internal departmental report and not for Committee.  The Evening News has now seen this report and Councillors should now have sight of the Report and its findings.
 The article in the Evening News states that the report details mismanagement, lack of proper accounting and failure to control costs – these are proper concerns for Councillors and this report should be laid before the Transport and Environment Committee at the earliest opportunity.   I would like your assurance that this report will be presented to Councillors at the next Transport and Environment Committee on 28th October.
 Yours sincerely
 
 
COUNCILLOR JOANNA MOWAT
(City Centre Ward)"