A sweet shop in the heart of Stobswell has seen its plans for bonfire night turn sour.
Bosses at The Sweet Stop, in Albert Street, are furious with Dundee City Council for awarding Highlands firm Inverness Fudge a lucrative contract to supply confectionary at organised firework displays in Lochee Park and Baxter Park on November 5.
William Dunn, co-owner of the Stobswell enterprise, accused the local authority of failing to support local business a claim strongly denied by the council, which defended its decision by stating the winning bid represented the best value for money.
But Mr Dunn says he had discussions with a council official who told him he had the better bid and the reason the contract went outside the city was because Inverness Fudge could supply both locations.
In the local authority’s own application form, however, it states that the applicant can submit a bid for one or both sites.
”Offers will be considered for the entire operation or in any part, and acceptance of offer will not be on price, but what the Event Organiser considers will provide the best balance of quality, price and variety,” it read.
Mr Dunn explained his bid was for Lochee or Baxter Park, and remains confused over why The Sweet Stop was not picked.
”At the time of submitting our application for the contract, we bid £70 for the Baxter Park site and £50 for Lochee Park,” he said.
”There was an opportunity in the form to add any comments and we explained that we would prefer to operate in Baxter Park as it’s local, but if that’s not possible then we will take Lochee.
”I later found out that the contract had gone to Inverness Fudge because they said they would supply both venues.
”There was no mention anywhere on the form that in order to win the contract you need to supply both sites. If there had been, we would have made alternative arrangements to make sure we could do that.”
Thousands of people attend the Dundee City Council-run firework displays every year.
For one night’s work, Mr Dunn reckons he could have made around £2,000 from sweet sales alone.
”I think what the council has done is ridiculous,” continued Mr Dunn. ”They are supposed to help small local businesses and instead they give the contract to a firm which doesn’t even pay rates in the area.”
Craig Melville, convener of Dundee City Council’s environment committee, said: ”The council tendered on the basis of providing the best value for money at both sites and the winning bid offered that.”