The cost of Maldon's rejected Marine Lake option has run into thousands.

Maldon District Council has paid management consultancy firm Jacobs Babtie ten per cent of the expected contract sum, to design an expanded marine lake that would have been fit for swimming in.

Bill Stichbury, (MDIDA, Maldon North) raised fears about spiralling costs of the open air marine lake when the council revealed it could not go ahead with the plan at a special meeting held on October 19.

The council said it had to change the plans and turn the 100-year-old attraction into an ornamental lake because the Health and Safety Executive said the original plan required 26 lifeguards to be present.

At the October meeting Mr Stichbury said: "Why have we paid £104,725 to Babtie PLC as consultancy fees, with a further amount of £61,900 budgeted for, when they should have been aware of the health and safety regulations, which have been in force since January 2003?"

At the full council meeting on Thursday night, council leader Bob Boyce said: "The fees paid to Jacobs Babtie are based on ten per cent of the expected contract sum, in line with the industry norm."

Published Monday, November 15, 2004

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