Contractor stands firm in face of criticism over council’s demolition spend.
The leader of the Labour opposition within Scunthorpe council says he was “shocked” by the “colossal amount” spent with GBM Demolition during the demolition of two key structures last year and has called for an enquiry into the council’s procurement policies.
Demolition of Scunthorpe Leisure Centre and the adjacent Carlton Street multi-storey car park cost taxpayers more than £950,000 it has been revealed. The two structures were pulled down between September 2011 and January last year.
The leisure centre demolition cost had previously been estimated at £150,000 and was covered in the £20 million-plus budget for The Pods leisure centre. The car park then had to be demolished after a structural report suggested a potential risk of it collapsing.
Council bosses have defended the high cost of the project, saying it represented the market value for a scheme of its kind.
Councillor Liz Redfern, leader of the council, said: “We would always get three quotes, so that would have been the market competitive rate.
Details of the project were revealed by GBM Demolition. The firm said: “Both structures were demolished following the clearance of all asbestos-containing materials.”
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