Fife Council has spent nearly £1 million on car parks at its controversial “Rolls-Royce” Glenrothes super depot.
Angry residents had asked The Courier to investigate the work carried out on monoblocking the car park at the Bankhead site.
Last month we revealed the local authority had splashed out more than £90,000 on a wooden fence at the depot.
Now it has emerged officials have spent almost £430,000 on monoblock and a further £550,000 on reinforced concrete at the former Amazon building.
The cash-strapped local authority is aiming to close a budget gap of £92.6m between 2014 and 2017.
Many residents are angry at what they see as extravagant and unnecessary spending by the council.
A Glenrothes father of two, who asked not to be named, asked: “How can the council afford to spend this vast amount of money when everyone’s bills are getting higher and the council are cutting back jobs in every department?”
Only last week The Courier reported that around 700 jobs could go at Fife Council over the next three years as it tries to balance the books.
The council bought the Amazon plant for nearly £7m in 2010 to house a number of council departments including cleansing, building maintenance, grounds maintenance and storage under one roof.
Fife Council leader Alex Rowley said: “I am well aware that there is a widespread view across communities in Fife, and among our own workforce, that this project has been very expensive, perhaps described as profligate or it has been suggested to me the ‘Rolls-Royce’ model of depots.
“This project dates back to the time before I became council leader, but I have been given assurances from senior management in the council that these views are not correct and that the project will save the council money.
“But given these concerns persist I have asked for a detailed report and breakdown of all the costs associated with this project to be brought before the council’s executive committee and to be published to ensure absolute transparency.
“I expect this to be brought forward early in the new year.”
Mr Rowley said the rear car park, which houses the commercial fleet, needed re-laid with reinforced concrete as it was first intended for cars, not heavy-duty vehicles.
To replace those removed car parking spaces, extra parking to the front of the building was created using monoblocks.
Council officers claimed that using monoblock instead of tarmac generated a saving of approximately £80,000.
He continued: “This is a large-scale project and the council had to make sure that the site and the building at Bankhead met all the needs of all the different services that are coming together.
“But what should also be remembered is that eventually the council will save several millions of pounds from not having the other depots on their books.”