A FAST-TRACKED contract to secure Ayr’s crumbling Station Hotel must be the subject of an inquiry, according to a former MSP.

Chic Brodie, the former SNP politician who has formed new party Scotia Future, demanded answers from South Ayrshire Council over its contract with CPMS to erect scaffolding around the landmark after it was deemed a danger.

The council confirmed that CPMS ltd had been given the contract without the usually tendering process due to the need for the work to be carried out quickly.

But it said it had no plans to hold an inquiry into the matter.

Mr Brodie pointed out that the company was not a scaffolding contractor, which could have meant requiring a sub contract, which was confirmed by the council.

He continued: “This might suggest an incremental cost as it in turn might have to find a specialist scaffolding provider? Was this the case?”

However, the response he received was less forthcoming: “As outlined above, no tender was undertaken. The council cannot comment further but is satisfied the appointment of CPMS met the required Regulations.”

CPMS Ltd is currently a preferred supplier to Network Rail.

They were appointed for all works at the Station Hotel, including making area safe, bollards and scaffolding. It added that CPMS was an “approved supplier for these services through corporate procurement networks used by both the Council and Network Rail.”

However, CPMS is not included in South Ayrshire Council’s contracts register.

The council was also asked for details of any subsidy from other parties ‘involved’ particularly the Scottish Government.

South Ayrshire Council replied: “There have been two funding agreements to date with Network Rail, which is a joint funding agreement as opposed to a “subsidy”.

“Funding was provided to the council to assist with the ongoing cost of the scaffolding at the Station Hotel. This totalled a payment of £1.992m in January 2019 and a further £356k in June this year, both from Network Rail.”

They also referred to an update report from April which stated that, up until that point work had cost £3.088m, with £1.11m paid by the council and the remainder by the Scottish Government. They would not provide details of a monthly breakdown of what Mr Brodie described as a ‘subsidy’.