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| Concern over crumbling buildings | Concern over crumbling buildings |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| A quarter of Scottish council buildings are in "poor or bad" condition, according to a spending watchdog. | A quarter of Scottish council buildings are in "poor or bad" condition, according to a spending watchdog. |
| Audit Scotland said many were unsuitable for the services delivered from them, despite £136m spent on maintenance last year. | Audit Scotland said many were unsuitable for the services delivered from them, despite £136m spent on maintenance last year. |
| The cost of tackling the repairs backlog has reached at least £1.4bn. | The cost of tackling the repairs backlog has reached at least £1.4bn. |
| Local authority representative body Cosla accused the Accounts Commission of demanding a "Rolls Royce service" for the price of a bus fare. | |
| The report looked at how councils maintain buildings such as schools, care homes, sports centres, office buildings, museums and works depots. | The report looked at how councils maintain buildings such as schools, care homes, sports centres, office buildings, museums and works depots. |
| The proportion in "good or satisfactory condition" ranged from 90% in East Ayrshire and Angus to less than 50% in Aberdeenshire and Inverclyde. | |
| Whilst cutting building maintenance may seem attractive, it won't help in the medium to long term John BaillieAccounts Commission | Whilst cutting building maintenance may seem attractive, it won't help in the medium to long term John BaillieAccounts Commission |
| Aberdeenshire topped the list for buildings in poor condition, with poor suitability at more than 30%. Glasgow had the fewest in that condition at 1%. | |
| Only half of councils had strategies for managing and maintaining property and two-thirds did not think further ahead than five years about what services they would need. | Only half of councils had strategies for managing and maintaining property and two-thirds did not think further ahead than five years about what services they would need. |
| Audit Scotland, which prepared the report for the Accounts Commission, said the £1.4bn figure for the maintenance backlog was almost certainly an underestimate because nine local authorities were unable to provide information. | |
| John Baillie, chairman of the Accounts Commission, said: "Councils are facing a very difficult outlook. | John Baillie, chairman of the Accounts Commission, said: "Councils are facing a very difficult outlook. |
| "Whilst cutting building maintenance may seem attractive, it won't help in the medium to long term as it just makes backlogs worse and leads to higher costs. | "Whilst cutting building maintenance may seem attractive, it won't help in the medium to long term as it just makes backlogs worse and leads to higher costs. |
| "It is essential that councils review and improve their performance on asset management to ensure they are operating as efficiently and effectively as possible." | "It is essential that councils review and improve their performance on asset management to ensure they are operating as efficiently and effectively as possible." |
| 'Council bashing' | |
| The report found little evidence that building use was being effectively challenged or scrutinised by councillors. | The report found little evidence that building use was being effectively challenged or scrutinised by councillors. |
| "We encourage councillors and council officials to take a much more active and dynamic approach to assessing and scrutinising council assets and how they meet people's current and future needs," Mr Baillie added. | |
| "They need to be better at planning much further ahead, such as in the provision of new buildings." | "They need to be better at planning much further ahead, such as in the provision of new buildings." |
| Cosla president Pat Watters said the report was "opportunistic council bashing". | |
| "The bottom line is that buildings require a vast amount of money spent on them on an ongoing basis and this has not always been possible as demands for services and additional funding pressures kick in," he said. | |
| "The commission has to realise that the whole of the public sector is operating in the teeth of the worst recession in living memory." | |
| Mr Watters added: "Once again we have the Accounts Commission demanding a Rolls Royce service, when councils barely have the bus fare." | |
| The report, Asset management in Local Government in Scotland, includes details of each council's performance and a checklist that councillors can use to help identify areas for improvement. | The report, Asset management in Local Government in Scotland, includes details of each council's performance and a checklist that councillors can use to help identify areas for improvement. |