Park plan cut back after fees shock

Plans to restore a landmark Black Country park to its 18th century heyday have been scaled down after it emerged more than £600,000 has been swallowed up by project fees.

Dudley Council has overspent by nearly £200,000 and has been forced to cut parts of the restoration project to stay within the £1.7million budget. As a result plans for Leasowes Lane Dam in Leasowes Park, Halesowen, have now been scrapped, it has been revealed.

Figures surrounding the exact costings of the long-running project will be discussed at a council meeting this week after Friends of Leasowes Park chairman Marianne Diller demanded an investigation.

The probe will reveal the budget for restoration works has been cut to £584,569. Council bosses had originally planned to spend nearly £750,000.

At the same time spending on land surveys, design and contract management fees and project management now accounts for £642,511, more than one-third of the entire budget.

It had been forecast for just over £450,000 to be spent on fees originally.

Dudley Council director of the urban environment, John Millar, compiled the report to be presented to the authority's select committee on regeneration and culture on Wednesday night.

In it Mr Millar says "complicating and unforeseen factors" led to increased survey and design costs.

He added: "In order to accommodate these increases it has been necessary to transfer funding from the restoration works budget.

"As a result the proposal to restore Leasowes Lane Dam has been removed from this phase of the restoration project."

Friends of Leasowes Park chairman Marianne Diller said "incredible amounts" of money had been spent on fees.

She said: "We are pleased, however, that the reduced project has started and that features have been saved."