COLCHESTER'S High Steward has hit out at Essex County Council for not taking up an offer from a local business which could have saved taxpayers £5,000.
Sir Bob Russell has criticised the authority's plans to install new "industrial" style railing at the Town House, in West Stockwell Street, which he says are not in keeping with the character of the historic Dutch Quarter.
Mick and Catherine Spindler, who run a Colchester demolition and reclamation company, had offered some salvaged alternatives to the authority at a cost of £1,250 - saving taxpayers around £5,000.
READ MORE: Colchester couple offer to save Essex County Council £5k on railings
However despite saying it would explore the offer, Sir Bob says County Hall did not contact the couple before it dismissed them as unsuitable.
Sir Bob wrote to the council calling for "common sense to prevail".
He said: "Here am I trying to get something positive done in a Conservation Area, one which the County Council is failing because of its attitude towards street lights which are out of keeping with this historic area, so I had hoped that Mr Spindler’s offer would be one that the council would welcome."
He added: "How can it be said the reclaimed fencing was not suitable when nobody from Essex County Council could be bothered to contact Mr Spindler and look?
"I have long been used to Essex County Council being anti-Colchester, remote, and generally useless.
"Your response confirms that the sooner Colchester loses the shackles of an uncaring County Hall the better."
READ MORE: Sir Bob: ‘Industrial railings all wrong for Dutch Quarter’
A spokesman for Essex County Council rejected the criticism.
He said the reclaimed fencing was not suitable due to height restrictions at the site.
He added: “The architecture of the Town House also requires specific, bespoke panels to robustly secure the area concerned.
“As the site includes an emergency exit, materials and construction processes also need to meet with compliance regulations.
“The railings which are being installed are of a similar style and appearance to the adjacent church railings and so will blend in to the surrounding area.
“Installation of these railings is scheduled for the later part of August.”
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