Council inquiry over Hungate

9:30am Wednesday 23rd July 2008

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AN inquiry is to be held into City of York Council’s ill-fated Hungate project.

Conservative leader Ian Gillies said a full scrutiny review was needed, to work out what had gone wrong and why.

Guildhall bosses were forced into an embarrassing U-turn earlier this month, when they withdrew their own planning application for new headquarters at the vast site at Peasholme Green, having already spent £4.9 million preparing the move.

Coun Gillies said: “We have spent all this money and ended up with a drawing.”

He wants an immediate and quick review, so that lessons can be learned in time for the revised project.

The inquiry was needed, he said, to “understand the complex sequence of events which led to the withdrawal of the planning application.”

Coun Gillies said he wanted the review to consist of hearings over two or three days later this year, with a report coming back before Christmas, rather than having to endure a long, drawn-out process.

“We think an efficient scrutiny process would help the council get back on track as quickly as possible, to enable officers to continue working towards delivering the new council facilities.”

Labour leader David Scott agreed the matter should be subject to scrutiny, and said it could teach the council lessons for the future. But he said the most important thing was getting the relocation project back on track and said the council had been “silent” since the withdrawal of the application.

“If lodging a scrutiny actually means that the cogs start turning to sort out what we are doing about our new headquarters, then that might be a beneficial side effect, but what the people of York really want is a clear direction in relation to Hungate.

“Are we going to be based in Hungate or somewhere else? Will it be redesigned? How much will it cost? “Those are basic questions that need answered and answered quickly.”

Liberal Democrat council leader Andrew Waller said: “If there is a genuine non-partisan attempt to learn lessons then that is something that should be encouraged, but if this is a party-political ploy then clearly it is not going to enhance anybody’s chances of doing anything.” He said the council’s priority remained taking the council’s headquarters project forward, to develop a “state-of-the-art” building.