Renfrewshire Council’s handling of the Dargavel Primary School debacle is set to be discussed in public by a watchdog for a second time next month.
A follow-up report on the saga – which saw the facility in Arrochar Drive, Bishopton, built far smaller than it needed to be – is due to be considered by the Accounts Commission on Thursday, August 8.
It could cover a number of key areas which auditors were asked to probe further after an initial Section 102 report on the fiasco was published earlier this year.
(Image: Councillor James MacLaren, a Conservative representative for Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank)
Councillor James MacLaren, a Conservative representative for Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank, hopes the process can strengthen accountability in the future.
He said: “I think we will be lucky if we get further answers as far as Dargavel is concerned.
“But I suppose my hope would be that in the future officers responsible will be more accountable for their actions and not walk away as they have done.
“Hopefully this process will create more accountability going forward.
“Obviously what happened in the past was outrageous but I don’t see us bringing anyone to account at this stage.
“It’s more of a case of closing the door after the horse has bolted.”
The errors have left behind a bill of £45 million for a second primary school in Dargavel Village, £15m towards an extension at Park Mains High School in Erskine and a trail of anger and frustration in affected communities.
In January, the commission endorsed a Section 102 report, prepared by the controller of audit, which said it faced a “significant challenge” to rebuild the trust and confidence of those affected by the botch-up.
It instructed auditors to probe a number of key areas and report back. This included the council’s review of its approach to community engagement and consultation on the additional school, its work on understanding wider service impacts, reviews of scrutiny and risk management and its leadership development programme, and the process followed in considering disciplinary action against senior staff, as well as its policy on accountability.
The commission, which holds Scottish councils to account, will formally publish the report some days after the meeting.
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