A criminal investigation into the building of DG One leisure centre should not be ruled out, according to South Scotland MSP, Colin Smyth.
The comments come after the latest report into the troubled centre revealed “significant additional costs running into millions of pounds” in order to repair the building.
The MSP believes that raises serious questions over the thoroughness of the original inspections of the building carried out when the council took legal action against Kier Construction. It means councillors were “conned” when they were told that compensation of around £10m from Kier would be sufficient to carry out repairs would cost.
Colin Smyth said the, “eye watering” scale of repairs now needed means questions need to be asked whether the building was safe when used by the public and warned that a criminal investigation into the building of the centre shouldn’t be ruled out if it is deemed that the building wasn’t safe.
Colin Smyth said:
“The latest revelations over the scale of repairs needed at DGOne are eye watering. You wonder if there was actually any part of the centre built properly. It really does beg the question- was this building actually safe when the public used it. I know councillors were re-assured that it was whenever they asked, but that was clearly before the full extent of the repairs were known. If it turns out that the additional repairs are now needed it means that the building did not meet health and safety requirements, and it is difficult to imagine how it could have, then a criminal investigation by the police into the building of DGOne should not be ruled out. I will certainly have no hesitation contacting the police and making a formal complaint it appears to be the building was unsafe.
The people responsible for building DGOne are worse than a shower of cowboys. They have shown an utter disregard for even the most basic building standards and cannot be allowed to get away with this.
Kier Construction will be laughing all the way to the bank with a £10m settlement they paid. Councillors will feel as if they were misled when they were given assurances that the settlement was the best the council’s legal adviser could get and would be close to the final cost of repairs. The council taxpayer has clearly been conned to the tune of millions. Serious questions need to be asked as to why the latest repairs were not spotted when the building was being assessed as part of the legal action against Kier”.
