Decision delayed on £17m cuts

A final decision on the future of up to £17million of public building work in Aberdeen was delayed yesterday.

City councillors agreed to defer a £400,000 spend on four travellers’ halting sites because of difficulties in identifying appropriate locations, one of few cuts to the troubled authority's capital spending programme.

But the budget-monitoring board's decisions were referred to the full council meeting on September 17 after opposition councillors called for input from all members.

Councillors agreed in July to review all capital works projects, but found the authority was legally committed to proceeding with £68.5million worth of projects, including Marischal College's controversial £80.4million conversion into the council's new headquarters.

City chamberlain Susan Cooper said that even if councillors deferred the £17million of projects, it would have little impact on the £50million package of savings the authority needed to make.

The subject of Marischal College sparked a renewed row at yesterday's meeting, with opposition Labour and Conservative councillors concerned the project's costs would rise.

Tory councillor Jim Farquharson said: “The whole issue we're concerned about is ensuring we don't have a Holyrood type of experience here.

“We are not playing political games. We have genuine concerns that, if it is likely we're going to have an increase in the capital cost of Marischal College, then we have to know why it's going to increase.”

Depute council leader Kevin Stewart said a Holyrood-type debacle could not happen with the project because the contract was fixed.