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)"