COUNCIL chiefs have agreed to hire the firm behind the London Eye to help get Colchester’s Visual Arts Facility underway.

Colchester Council’s cabinet rubber-stamped plans to hire Mace, one of the country’s biggest consultancy and construction groups, to take over the troubled project.

The coalition-run cabinet agreed the council would pay up to £72,000 to find out what work needs to be done to complete the building.

It is then likely they will be recruited to restart work on the building, which ground to a halt last December.

Deputy council leader Martin Hunt said Mace’s reputation for building London Eye meant it was the right company for the job.

He said: “The London Eye is still going round and round and it has not fallen over, so I think that suggests they are quite good at what they do.

“If anyone can complete the construction of this building, I suggest Mace can do it.”

Mr Hunt said Banner Holdings, the company originally hired to build the arts centre, had made no contact in relation to legal action.

Its contract was rescinded in April and the company has threatened to take legal action.

The cabinet also agreed to retain Anthony Collins Solicitors to deal with any legal issues relating to the arts facility.

Mace’s past projects include co-ordinating the construction of the £75million London Eye, while the company was also construction manager for the British Museum’s Great Court project.

The Visual Arts Facility’s budget has spiralled from £16.5million to more than £25million.

It is hoped work will resume this autumn, but the council has warned the previously anticipated spring 2010 opening could prove to be “optimistic”.

Kevin Bentley, leader of Colchester Council’s Conservative group, told the meeting the Tories would offer their full backing to ensure the building was completed.