QUARTERLY performance figures released by Trowbridge Town Council show the total projected cost of the revamped Civic Centre project has now hit £5.7m.

Figures, for the period of April to June this year, show the town council now expects to pay £5.7m for the refurbishment and remodelling of the Civic Centre, £700,000 above the original budget.

It expects running costs of the centre to be £36,000 over budget in this financial year due to increased costs for running the bar and catering, after parting company with Crown Catering last month following complaints.

In total the council expects to come in at £64,000 above budget this year, spending £1.383m, instead of £1.319m.

The numbers have been slammed by town councillor Graham Payne, who said it was astonishing the project had been allowed to escalate in cost by £700,000.

He said: “I’ve never had any confidence in the budget. Every year I’ve made the same points, the budget rises and inefficiencies creep in. .

“It’s financial incompetence, which runs through Trowbridge Town Council like a stick of rock. Things need to change very quickly.”

Trowbridge Mayor John Knight defended the numbers, saying: “I’m perfectly happy with the outcome of these figures and in the way they’ve been justified. Other than that I can’t comment.”

Coun Bob Brice, leader of the council and chairman of the Civic Centre’s management board was away.

The Wiltshire Times tried to contact town clerk Lance Allan, who has led the project, to discuss the figures. The paper was told he was in a meeting and he would call back. The next day, after he failed to return the call, council staff said he is on holiday.

Cllr Jeff Osborne said he was concerned by the figures.

Refering to the predicted £64,000 overspend in the total budget, he said: “In the scheme of things that’s not that bad actually, in a budget of over £1m.”

He is concerned to ensure the catering situation at the Civic Centre was back on track, and that utility bills weren’t too expensive.

Speaking about the increase in the Civic Centre project costs, he said: “That’s a concern. It’s higher than anticipated, we worked on the budget being £5m. It’s disappointing, that figure does seem to be high and needs to be looked at.”