Member Article

Mouchel ordered to pay back £2.5 million following Canvey Island road blunder

Essex County Council has reached a settlement worth £2.4 million with Woking-based infrastructure group Mouchel, which was hired as part of the plans to extend Roscommon Way.

According to The Echo, the company’s original design for the base of the road was found to be “insufficient” and new plans had to be drawn up.

The £18.5 million Roscommon Way extension, which would linking Northwick Road to Haven Road, was opened in December 2011 and promised to bring more jobs to the island and fewer traffic jams.

It was the first phase in a two-part road scheme to extend the road all the way to Western Esplanade, creating a third main road across the island

However, the design problems began when Mouchel discovered it there would be extra work needed to support oil and gas pipelines.

Rodney Bass, county councillor responsible for highways, said: “Some way through the Roscommon Way road works, we found this company’s original design for the road foundation was insufficient.

“This meant new plans had to be put forward and work had to be redone. Because of the extra money that had to be spent by Essex County Council as a result, we successfully claimed compensation.

“We are determined to get the best deal for the taxpayers of Essex in every project we undertake.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .