Local authority panned over Dornoch toilet troubles
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The chairman of Dornoch Area Community Council has launched a stinging broadside against Highland Council after learning that a long-running project to upgrade the town’s public toilets hasstalled.
Patrick Murray, who also holds the title of Provost of Dornoch, said the local authority was not “fit for purpose” after being told that difficulties with contractors meant the contract process would have to start again.
In a heated address to the community council last week, he compared the progress of the town project with that of a similar enterprise by a local caravan and camp site, saying that while both projects had started more than a year ago, the private enterprise scheme had been completed at a low cost and in time for the 2021 summer season.
“If this is an example of how Highland Council conducts its business, then there is something extremely wrong. They are not fit for purpose,” said Mr Murray. “I think it is the most appalling example of poor management and I am frankly just gobsmacked.”
The community council has long been keen to upgrade the “smelly” town centre toilets, maintaining they are a continual source of complaints from visitors and do not reflect well on the town.
Discussions with Highland Council took place late last year and early this year with community councillors aghast at the authority’s estimation that a budget of between £88,000 and £135,000 would be required.
A suggestion that a local contractor be appointed to replace flooring and fittings and paint walls with a budget of up to £35,000 was dismissed by the authority who said it had to adhere to a procurement process and certain specifications.
Eventually it was agreed to allocate £39,000 for the scheme from the Common Good Fund along with a £5000 contingency fund. It was hoped the upgrade could be completed by the end of May or October at the latest.
Mr Murray said he was not just frustrated at the continuing delay but also that the project was now likely to cost more because of the increasing cost of building materials. He said the community council had advised that materials be bought in advance of work starting but that had not happened.
“Highland Council is intending to pass on these extra costs to the Common Good Fund despite their own negligence in not pre-purchasing and I find this totally out of order,” he said.
He revealed that he had submitted a Freedom of Information request to Highland Council to find out the identity of the contractor involved.
Treasurer Jerry Bishop said: “If this refurbishment goes ahead at a price in excess of £44,000, there is a prima facie case for waste of public money.
“If the community council had been allowed to go ahead it could have been done for £30,000 in October/November last year.
“I really am concerned that we could be implicated in approving expenditure from the Common Good Fund in excess of what should have been spent and that to me is wasteful and I hate waste.
“I would like to see more accountability and transparency if this contract is reset and I want to know why it went so badly wrong.”
East Sutherland and Edderton ward councillor Jim McGillivray, who was at the meeting, said: “It is disgraceful.”
A Highland Council spokesman said no contract for the toilet refurbishment had yet been awarded.
“Several attempts were made to the lowest contractor to update and confirm costs but to date we have been unable to get a response,” he said.
“We are currently in the process of trying to arrange new tender costs and will hopefully have this completed within the next couple of weeks.
“Under Highland Council procurement legislation we are unable to divulge any tender information until a contract is awarded.
“As the contract has not been awarded, we were unable to pass on any information as to who was tendering and who the preferred contractor was.
“The ward manager was made aware of the situation and informed the community council of our position.”
