Undergroundcarpark workstarts in March

THE development of a £6.5m underground car park in Ebrington - that will result in the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister’s (OFMDFM) accounts being qualified due to irregular expenditure - is due to start this month.
Work on a £6.5m underground car park in Ebrington is to progress this month.Work on a £6.5m underground car park in Ebrington is to progress this month.
Work on a £6.5m underground car park in Ebrington is to progress this month.

The OFMDFM Ministers jointly stated: “The tender for the construction of a car park and enabling platform at Ebrington closed in December 2013 and a contractor has been appointed. It is expected that work on the project will commence in March 2013.”

The car park was part of the overall £20.7m Ebrington project - elements of which were qualified by the auditors due to changes to the original contract.

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This means that now, following the award of the tender for the 220 space subterranean car park and the imminent commencement of works, the expenditure will once again be deemed irregular, resulting in a further qualification of OFMDFM’s account.

Last September ILEX confirmed: “The original business case for the Parade Ground, included an element for a car park and associated works at Ebrington. This case was approved by the Department for Finance and Personnel at a total cost of £20.7m.

“However as the Parade Ground element of this project has been classified as irregular due to changes on the original contract, the expenditure on the subsequent car park project will also be deemed irregular in OFMDFM’s accounts.”

There has been considerable slippage on the car park project, which the public were at one stage told was due to get underway in January 2012 with a provisional opening date of December 2012.

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