Oxfordshire County Council pays £1.6m in parking contract row

Mistakes made over the awarding of a parking contract have cost a council more than £1.6m.

Marston Holdings Ltd filed a legal claim when it did not win back a contract to carry out parking enforcement for Oxfordshire County Council.

Lawyers found "significant failings" in the procurement process and the council settled out of court.

The authority said matters would be "rectified for the future".

A report, due to be presented to the authority's audit and government committee on 3 March, has revealed the authority paid more than £1.6m after it agreed to settle the case out of court and became liable for the legal costs of Marston Holdings Ltd.

It said the firm alleged in June 2019 the procurement of the parking "had been undertaken contrary to the procurement regulations".

The report added "significant failings in the evaluation exercise" were identified, with the council's "chances of success in defending the challenge as being poor and that Marston Holdings Ltd chances of success were in the region of 75% - 85%".

Oxfordshire County Council said matters had been "addressed in detail and rectified for the future".

In a statement, it added it had since introduced "rigorous new procedures" and a "significant personnel change".

Chief executive Yvonne Rees, who commissioned the independent review, said: "Building on this, there is a resolute determination throughout the organisation to minimise the chances of such circumstances ever re-occurring".

Monitoring officer Anita Bradley added: "We have followed to the letter the correct and proper process for conducting a review of this nature.

"We are acutely aware that we are accountable to the Oxfordshire public and that we have a duty to be honest and transparent in our management of public money."

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