Published: 19 October 2021
Stuart Love, Westminster City Council Chief Executive said:
In August the council commissioned a comprehensive Internal Review of the Marble Arch Mound project. The report we have published today establishes why the Mound opened early and how costs overran, setting out clear recommendations to prevent similar issues in future.
The findings are conclusive. A series of errors in judgement, coupled with a lack of sufficient oversight, led to a failure of project management on the Mound. We did not meet our own high standards on this project and for that I apologise again.
The report is clear on two points. First, that our processes are robust but, in this case, those processes were circumvented - driven by the desire to open the Mound as soon as possible. This is unacceptable, and we are taking action to address these findings.
The report is equally clear that the issues identified are restricted to the Marble Arch Mound. Westminster City Council manages projects worth hundreds of millions of pounds a year to a high standard and within budget, and they are unaffected by issues surrounding the Mound.
The council must learn the lessons of the Mound project. We will continue our efforts to revive Westminster’s economy post-pandemic and to ensure our residents continue to receive first class services.
Notes to editors
- The council has today published a report summarising the findings of its comprehensive Internal Review. Read the report and resulting recommendations.
- The council has also published a Cabinet Member Report providing a breakdown of the previously published project costs.
- The findings of the review and recommendations will be examined by a meeting of the council’s cross party Policy & Scrutiny Committee.
- Some elements of the review’s findings are being, necessarily, kept confidential. However all of the evidence gathered will inform the council’s response.