James, any chance you could publish your public forum statement to the Resources Scrutiny Commission re: the Redland Green overspend ?

They haven't included it in the published minutes. 

Unfortunately I wasn't able to go along and deliver it in person:

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(Related Agenda Item: 9. REDLAND GREEN - EXTERNAL AUDITORS REPORT)

Having read the audit report on the construction of Redland Green School, produced by Grant Thornton UK, it seems clear that the project was undertaken with little regard to the Council's duty to responsibly husband the monies collected from the tax payers of Bristol. A combination of inexperienced management, questionable supplier selection and an apparent disregard for the Council's own financial procedures has resulted in the waste of millions of pounds, all of which is ultimately taken from the pockets of hard-working Bristolians.

I would remind you that this waste has taken place in a year when the proposed Council Tax rise for Bristol will again be more than four percent, whereas the neighbouring authority of North Somerset has managed to keep their proposed rise beneath two percent; effectively a cut in taxation when accounting for inflation.

The audit report is a flawed document, and the auditors themselves admit "we are not quantity surveyors and cannot, therefore, comment on the reasons for the cost overruns". The report does not reveal the full story of why such egregious waste has taken place, but it does state that financial regulations were ignored by Council Officers and the Building Contractor; that the management consultants hired to run the project were not overseen by an independent Quantity Surveyors; that Architects and Planners made fundamental and unprofessional errors in their disciplines.

The political leadership of Bristol - over many years and from many different parties - undertook to provide the funds for this school, with the expectation that Council Officers and Suppliers would conduct themselves with professionalism. That standard of conduct has not been met. I ask the members of the Scrutiny Committee: does this make you angry? Are you outraged? And I ask, what are you going to do about?<!-- D(["mb","\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eTo which trade bodies will the council write to request the striking-off or disbarment of Chartered Professionals? Which suppliers will be sued for their failure to abide by agreed terms? Which council officers will face disciplinary action or dismissal for their \u003cspan lang\u003d\"EN-GB\"\u003eblasé \u003c/span\u003eapproach to internal regulations?\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eAgain, I ask what do you intend to do?\u003cbr\u003e\u003d\u003d\u003dEND\u003d\u003d\u003d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline\"\u003eContact Details:\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e",1] ); D(["mb","\u003cspan class\u003dsg\u003eJames Barlow\u003cbr\u003e64 Cotham Road\u003cbr\u003eCotham\u003cbr\u003eBristol\u003cbr\u003eBS6 6DW\u003cbr\u003eTel: 07973 656526\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003c/span\u003e",0] ); //-->

To which trade bodies will the council write to request the striking-off or disbarment of Chartered Professionals? Which suppliers will be sued for their failure to abide by agreed terms? Which council officers will face disciplinary action or dismissal for their blasé approach to internal regulations?

Again, I ask what do you intend to do?
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I haven't received any formal response, although I think the lack of acknowledgement combined with the absence of action proposed in the minutes could be paraphrased as "Please Go Away".

I even got a call from the trade paper Quantity Surveyor Week about this, so I shall continue agitating.

JMB