Angus Council chiefs have defended the choice of a central Scotland contractor for the £650,000 demolition of Forfar’s Lochside leisure centre.
After more than five years of lying empty, the centre is just weeks away from coming down.
The authority say they would have liked to have given the job to a local firm but Falkirk-based Central Demolition put in the top tender for the five-month project.
Officials revealed they went out to local companies to encourage them to quote for the job.
Tender documents were issued to 16 contractors across the country.
Ten submitted bids.
Bonnybridge-based Central Demolition was selected as the best value for money tender.
£150,000 rise in costs
But their £650k quote was £150,000 more than the council had set aside to clear the 47-year-old building.
Officials were quizzed on the tender process and asked if Angus firms had expressed an interest.
“I realise we use a procurement framework and it came in with a good number of businesses tendering,” said Carnoustie councillor David Cheape.
“But in the knowledge it’s come in significantly above what we have left in the pot, why doesn’t someone pick up the phone to one or two local companies and see if we can get the price down?”
But he was told by a procurement officer the idea of “bartering down” a contractor or using figures as a “stalking process” would be unethical.
An official said: “We’re convinced the figures are realistic in the market at the moment.
“We wrote to all the demolition contractors in the local area asking them to tender so I think we did our due diligence.”
Montrose councillor Bill Duff said: “Ten tenders out of 16 looks pretty thorough to me.
“It’s unfortunate the delay here has cost money and that’s life, I guess.”
Work to start after school holiday
The bulldozers are due on site in mid-October.
Council chiefs programmed the demolition to take place after the autumn school holiday fortnight, which begins on Friday.
Signs have gone up at the playpark next to the old centre warning families it will be out of bounds until next spring.
The Central Demolition contract involves clearing the site, including the removal of asbestos in the building.
The firm has been involved in other major Angus jobs including the knocking down of the former Forfar Academy in 2017.
The area beside Forfar Loch country park will then be landscaped.
However, there is a hope a small reminder of the centre will be saved.
A plaque on the wall in the reception area marks the official opening of the centre by the Earl of Strathmore in April 1975.
Strathmore Vintage Vehicle Club enthusiast Lyall Norrie is keen to see it removed before the centre comes down.
“It’s an important reminder of the centre and would be something Strathmore estate, the club or the council could keep for posterity,” he said.
The council say Angus Alive’s archives department will look at the request.
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