Council pays out over Christmas lights procurement

A local authority has paid a lighting business £155,000 in compensation over the award of its Christmas illuminations contract, it has been reported.

According to The Courier, Lightways (Contractors) made the claim after Fife Council failed to award it the three-year contract.

The two sides agreed an out-of-court settlement after the council admitted it had twice breached public procurement regulations.

Councillors have had a report on the errors in procurement but it has not been made public.

Lightways director Gary McLauchlan told The Courier the issues came to light following contract award debriefing sessions.

“This has cost the council at least £155,000 and we didn't put in a single bulb,” he said.

He said the council had failed to follow current procurement regulations. “We're not prepared to have old methods and ideas determining what's right and what's wrong,” McLauchlan added.

Paul Vaughan, the council's policy and communications senior manager, told the paper that Fife’s internal auditors were looking into the matter.