Cheshire East Council (CEC) has set aside £100,000 to cover the investigation into the Lyme Green fiasco.
The Three Quarter Year Review of Performance 2012 / 2013, prepared for a meeting of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee a few weeks ago, makes reference to an additional £100,000 related to the independent investigation of the Lyme Green project.
A spokesperson for Cheshire East Council said: "Having listened to and heeded calls to carry out a full and thorough investigation of the Lyme Green project it would have been irresponsible not to put aside money to fund this.
"The £100,000 set aside in our budget is a projected contingency for the cost of engaging an objective external investigator.
"However, we are still in discussion with the firm that supplied the Independent Investigator about the final bill for these services and we will release this information publically when costs are known."
Cheshire East's aborted plans to build a recycling station at Lyme Green Depot in Macclesfield have cost Cheshire East taxpayers in excess of £800,000, they broke planning rules, as the main contractor commenced work on the site before obtaining planning permission and officers did not comply with EU Procurement Regulations.
The report by a Designated Independent Person (DIP) into the causes of the failure of the Lyme Green development project, was completed and passed to the Council's staffing sub committee for consideration in December 2012.
Cheshire East Council has refused to disclose the report because it contains personal data and would lead to a breach of the Data Protection Act 1998. They also state that disclosure of the information to the public would constitute a breach of confidence and, given the investigations are still ongoing, release of the report may prejudge or influence matters which are subject to further inquiry.
Since the completion of the DIP report three senior officers have left CEC and Councillor Rod Menlove also resigned from his role as Environment Portfolio Holder, as a result of the Lyme Green debacle.
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