Council officer should 'go quietly' over surf reef fiasco (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Council officer should 'go quietly' over surf reef fiasco
8:33am Friday 13th February 2009 in
AN opposition councillor has called for a senior council officer to “go quietly” following his apology for part of the Boscombe surf reef and spa development overspend.
Head of leisure services Roger Brown has admitted that officers tried to save money and “perhaps cut some corners” by failing to carry out a structural survey on the dilapidated Overstrand building.
When work began the building was in such a poor state another £648,000 was needed to get it into shape.
Mr Brown’s apology came at a special scrutiny panel meeting earlier this week when members reluctantly backed spending another £1.8 million on the ill-fated project. Cllr Anne Rey, who attended the meeting, said: “The buck stops with Roger Brown. He has apologised publicly but should carry the can and go quietly.
“I can’t believe a survey wasn’t carried out on the Overstrand building; someone buying an old house would get a full survey done. It’s not rocket science.
“Roger Brown is an experienced officer and, at the end of the day, he wasn’t spending his own money. It was taxpayers’ money that was being wasted.
“The project was very, very badly managed and we have to consider public perception of what has been going on; we can’t carry on like this.”
Cllr Ron Whittaker, who also heard Mr Brown’s apology, said: “One or two officers should look at their position regarding this contract. I’m not happy with the apology; it does not go far enough but calling for senior officers to go won’t actually help us.
“The important thing is to ensure that the overspend isn’t wasted and this mismanaged project gets finished as soon as possible. The last thing we want to see, after all this time, is it failing.”
Comments(14)
Perihelion
says...
9:01am Fri 13 Feb 09
Cazzam
says...
9:26am Fri 13 Feb 09
Cazzam
says...
9:32am Fri 13 Feb 09
Cazzam wrote:sorry - didn't finish then!
I agree with Perihelion. Theyd still need the money, but it wouldn't be a shock like it is now. And actually the survey
was just wondering that if the bigger survey was done in the first place, would it mean that the whole thing would cost even more?? so well-intentioned approch that really didnt work. but at least he tried to save money.
John T
says...
10:03am Fri 13 Feb 09
Cazzam wrote:Cazzam
Cazzam wrote: I agree with Perihelion. Theyd still need the money, but it wouldn't be a shock like it is now. And actually the surveysorry - didn't finish then! was just wondering that if the bigger survey was done in the first place, would it mean that the whole thing would cost even more?? so well-intentioned approch that really didnt work. but at least he tried to save money.
So you left your job half-finished. You wouldn't happen to be connected with ASR or Bournemouth Council by any chance, would you?
Martin Kitcher
says...
11:14am Fri 13 Feb 09
magicmonkey
says...
3:13pm Fri 13 Feb 09
It probably will be finished, although whether ASR are still the contractors is another question...
Then it won't work. Councillors will tell us to wait as the wrong kind of waves are occuring. We will also be told not to expect the surf reef to work all the time time (i.e. at all).
After one or two summers with no sign of waves or surfers, the council will then begin to point out the "eco benefits" and will call it an eco-reef instead of a surf reef.
Then due to lack of maintenance, the surf reef bags will split and more money will be needed.
Pessemistic?? Nope - realistic!
Chris...
says...
4:47pm Fri 13 Feb 09
The whole scenario just appears to have been handed over on a piece of scrap paper and told get on with it. There is a pot of money, help yourself. This means there are others involved who need to stand up and be counted. Both Council Officers, and Councillors.
dopey
says...
8:03pm Fri 13 Feb 09
FIVE "stories" abour a non-existent (gr)reef posted at (almost) one minute intervals: 0831,0833,0834,0836,
0837
I thought it must be 1st April !
GB1980
says...
8:11pm Fri 13 Feb 09
Bob49
says...
9:48pm Fri 13 Feb 09
eh ?
Perhaps you could tell us where they have suggested that.
pipistrollers
says...
10:43pm Fri 13 Feb 09
Who else would you say needs to go?
GB1980
says...
2:48pm Sat 14 Feb 09
Bob49 wrote:In their perspective of how the reef is being built.
" Perhaps the Echo should be building this surf reef - they seem to think they can do a much better job."
eh ?
Perhaps you could tell us where they have suggested that.
time nor Tide
says...
5:46pm Sat 14 Feb 09
He's the only person that I have noticed that spends time in the water commenting.
yes he did 5 posts in a row - he must have been biting his lip (or fingers) for some time wishing to say his piece.
But at last something from the "water babies" that are waiting for this new pond to play on.
it must have been like "story time" when everybody was telling each other how good it will be and that then changed to "i hope it will work", now we hear "i hope it gets finished"
I am sure ASR will return and finish it -but fear that "sanity clause " will not exist" when it comes to double the height on double the days when knee height waves become overhead pipeline monsters and all those responsible for those words just say "i was just kidding" , "OH you thought it was for real?
time nor Tide
says...
12:13am Sun 15 Feb 09
"More than £10m from the Indian government’s Tsunami Rehabilitation Programme has been allocated to areas that were not affected by the tsunami. Kerala Tourism has disguised the diversion of the funds as “coastal protection” in an attempt to quell local outrage, but the works consist almost entirely of extravagant construction projects designed to maximise the profit potential of the once sleepy resort of Kovalam.
One of these projects is the construction of an artificial surf reef that has been designed to increase the size of the waves hitting the coast. Local opposition groups claim that turning the bay into a playground for westerners will put 500 fishermen out of work and put fish breeding grounds at risk."
http://www.timesonli
ne.co.uk/tol/travel/
news/article4921034.
ece
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