Civic Hall revamp bill may hit £1.9m

Town councillors have been told the final bill for the refurbishment and extension of the building in Britwell Road will exceed the £1.3m budget, but the precise figure is not yet known.

As a result, they are lining up borrowing to cover the additional costs and a working group has been set up to investigate why spending rose.

The town council has asked South Oxfordshire District Council to bring forward a payment of £149,000 it is due to receive when the 1,000th home has been completed at the Great Western Park development.

And it will ask the Government for permission to apply for a facility to borrow £500,000.

Town council leader Margaret Davies said an overspend first came to light in June and added: “We’re trying to sort this out with the least possible damage.

“But we have to make interim payments on this building and these are already beyond what is budgeted. We will seek the facility for a loan of £500,000 and typically we borrow from the Public Works Loans Board, a government body. Negotiations with the contractors are still under way and we’re trying to keep the price down.”

Former town council leader Bill Service, who was at the helm when contractor Mansell was appointed, said: “We have always tried to get the best building for the people of Didcot and a working group has been set up at the town council after the overspend came to light.

“There will be negotiations with the contractors to try to mitigate the final figure down to something more reasonable and the Tories will work with the Labour leaders of the council on this – it’s a Didcot matter, not a political matter. There was a contingency fund of £68,000.”

District council strategic director Anna Robinson confirmed the authority would help by bringing forward the Great Western Park payment early in the new year.

Mansell’s spokesman Alison Edwards said any inquiries about the cost of the hall project should be referred to the town council.