Opposition cast doubts over Tadcaster Car Park refurb savings
News that the controversial facelift for a car park in Tadcaster came in under budget has been called into question after it emerged that the project still cost more than the Council had originally planned to spend on it.
Tadcaster
An email, shown to Selby Online, originally circulated amongst opposition Labour members of Selby District Council casts doubts over assertions of the ruling Conservative administration that a saving of more than £60,000 had been made on the project. Instead, it points to a total project spend in the region of £250,000, a figure that represents an overspend of approx. £20,000 on what was originally earmarked for the scheme.
The disputed budget figures are a legacy of the battles that have been fought over the contentious and long-running issue of resurfacing Tadcaster's Central Area Car Park.
Council officials had originally intended to spend £230,000 on the car park, having awarded the contract through competitive tender. But the planned work had to be aborted soon after the award however when local firm Samuel Smith's Old Brewery – a perennial thorn in the Council's side – mounted a legal challenge to the scheme that would take both parties to the High Court.
Eventually, the Council won the argument and was even permitted to claim back from the brewery court costs of £20,000. But now, although free to get on with the project, the Council would need to re-tender the contract before works could begin.
In December 2013, the new contract was awarded. This time however, the winning bid was £310,000, meaning the Council would need to dig deep to find the additional £80,000 needed to plug the budget shortfall.
We asked Selby District Council to comment on the situation. They told us, "The initial tendering process was carried out in 2010, due to legal delays the Council were required to re-tender the work.
"The 2013 tender was higher this was not an overspend but reflected the increased cost of materials. Due to officers closely monitoring and managing the contract the Council has saved around £66,000 on the project."
Meanwhile Selby Online understands that the Council is exploring options with regards to introducing charges for use of the newly refurbished Tadcaster Car Park. If enacted, this could bring an end to the years of free parking enjoyed by residents of Tadcaster whilst those here in Selby must pay.
A spokeswoman for Selby District Council said, “Over the next few weeks we will be carrying out a usage survey to show patterns of length of stay of vehicles and the availability of spaces for shoppers in Tadcaster. This information, along with the findings of the Retail Research Survey carried out in 2013, will be used to inform a wider Retail and Car Parking Strategy for Tadcaster. Any decision on future car parking provision in Tadcaster will not be taken until we have all facts and figures available.”
Council Leader, Cllr Mark Crane, added, "I believe that we should make a charge at some point to be fair to the residents of Selby."