'Thorough' probe vow over Dumfries and Galloway road contract deficit

A "thorough investigation" has been promised into how a council ended up nearly £2.9m out of pocket on a trunk road maintenance contract.

A report to Dumfries and Galloway Council said income from the deal had been "significantly overestimated".

Archie Dryburgh, who chairs the economy, environment and infrastructure committee, said a probe would look at the entire five-year contract.

He said any lessons would be learned for future agreements.

The extent of the deficit on the contract between Scotland Transerv and the council was only recently revealed.

It will now be the focus of an inquiry - although Conservative councillors expressed concerns that it would be an internal investigation led by a council officer.

'Next steps'

However, Mr Dryburgh said they could have full confidence in the process.

"We have to do that internal investigation first but with a view to bringing that report back and then see what the next steps will be from there," he said.

"I mean, at the end of the day, £2.8m is money that we should have had in the budget for the council.

"We need to make sure that whatever decisions were made during those particular times were well reported to members and, if they were not, what actions are we going to take to let that not happen again."

He said they hoped to have a report back before the autumn, after which he said the local authority would learn any lessons for other contracts in the future.