Oxford City Council is unsure about whether to apologise for its part in the Cornmarket Street repaving fiasco.

The project -- a joint scheme with Oxfordshire County Council -- was abandoned after a catalogue of problems including Stenoak, the specialist road surfacing firm heading up the project, going bust and large granite blocks cracking under the weight of delivery vehicles.

The scheme is still unfinished and could end up costing the taxpayer more than £5m.

Despite an independent inquiry stating that Oxford residents have every right to "expect better" from the authorities, no-one has been singled out for blame and neither council has apologised.

The Oxford Mail asked county council leader Keith Mitchell whether he would personally apologise for his authority's part in the mess -- and he refused. Instead he suggested we look up chapter 17, verse 28 of the Book of Proverbs to sum up his feelings.

It states: "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding."

City councillor Jim Campbell, a member of the inquiry panel, told the executive committee: "We are paranoid about being ineffective, of not getting things done and being slated in the Press.

"It was a cock-up and it was badly handled -- whether or not we should apologise to the public is a question for you to take."

The Town Hall came out of the Cornmarket row relatively unscathed compared to colleagues at County Hall -- mainly because its contribution to the project was capped.

Mr Campbell added: "If both council's agreed a form of words then personally I think that would be in order.

Even the independent inquiry has not been able to say how much the project exceeded the overall budget.

Its "best estimate" is that the total cost so far is between £3.8m and £4.7m. It was originally hoped the scheme could be delivered for £2.3m.

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