Flood Prevention Scheme Review

Councillors will discuss the results of an audit review of the Dunfermline flood prevention scheme at a meeting of the Executive Committee this week.

The review was put in place following years of issues, rising costs and delays with the multi-million pound contract since design work started in 2004. The council is involved in legal action against Atkins, the design and site supervision consultants for the project.

Fife Council’s Chief Executive Steve Grimmond commented: “It was important that we looked back and thoroughly examined the way we handled this project. Fifers need to have confidence that the council is using public funds competently and getting best value for money.

“We will learn lessons from this experience and the review has highlighted various ways that we can improve how we deal with major civil engineering projects in the future.”

Council Leader David Ross chairs the Executive Committee. He commented: “This review of the project is very welcome after years of frustration for local residents who have unfortunately borne the brunt of the difficulties this project has faced.

“We asked for this review to understand and provide a reassurance that the council has acted appropriately at all stages of the contract. Audit Services have carried out a thorough investigation of the lifetime of the project and I welcome their findings. What is clear is that we have been badly let down by companies the council employed to carry out various aspects of this work including the design of the scheme.

“Lessons will be learned, and I want to reassure residents that we are making every effort to recover a significant portion of the public money that has been spent on bringing this project to fruition.”

The audit review has found that poor work by the design, construction supervision and management consultants appointed by the council led to difficulties with the construction contract which was awarded to Byzak Ltd. Substantial changes to the contract drawings were still being made two years into the construction phase leading to spiralling costs and delays.

Discussions took place at the time around the possibility of terminating the contract with Atkins. However, having taken legal advice, the council decided it would be too costly and delay progress too much to appoint new consultants.

As work continued on site, Byzak claimed that poor design work by Atkins was causing difficulties. A number of disputes that followed were resolved through Adjudicators. In 2014 a new contractor was appointed to complete the project and this element of the works was supervised by the council’s in-house design team.

Concluded Cllr Ross: “There is no doubt that this has been a complex, frustrating, and difficult process for all involved. However the work to prevent further flooding of homes in Dunfermline is finally complete and we will continue in our fight for compensation.”

Kingdom FM News has contacted Atkins for a response.