Silence over cost of Shrewsbury Music Hall overspend
Council bosses today refused to reveal how much extra taxpayers' cash has been spent so far on the long-delayed Music Hall scheme – as they admitted they do not know how big the final bill could be.
Shropshire Council officials said the contingency budget for the project, as well as how much of this money has so far been spent, would be kept under wraps. Initially the projects was to have cost £10.5 million.
The transformation of the landmark building into a museum and art gallery should have been completed by late 2011 but is running two years behind schedule.
The council is in talks with ISG Construction over additional costs for the scheme, with delays removing scaffolding believed to have sent bills spiralling.
Helen Powell, legal services manager for the council, has ruled the authority does not need to publish information about the size of the contingency budget and how much has been spent.
She was responding to a request from the Shropshire Star.
"The release of this information could potentially impact on the position of the council in its ongoing contractual discussions," she said.
"I have concluded on balance that the public interest in maintaining the exemption does outweigh the public interest in disclosing the information."
She did reveal it was not yet known what the final bill for scaffolding would be. It was finally removed last month, after going up in July 2010.
"The final figures of any additional costs are not yet determined and agreed. Therefore this information is not held," she said.
Labour councillor Jon Tandy said today: "It is staggering they are still trying to hide things, They still haven't learnt they have got to be open and accountable to the general public."
Structural problems discovered inside the Vaughan's Mansion section have caused the delays.
