COUNCILLORS are looking to overturn a Government order demanding them to re-tender for a £2 million contract. The contract was won by Bury Contract Services - the local authority's own contractors - for the collection of refuse and street cleaning.

But according to environment minister Sir Paul Beresford it was unfairly tendered because some information was withheld from other competitors.

Now the contract has to be put forward for re-tendering.

Councillors, Sir Paul claims, withheld information from private contractors relating to depot facilities and to the available vehicle fleet.

But local councillors deny these allegations and are currently seeking legal advice to find out whether they have grounds to appeal.

Deputy Leader of the Council Derek Boden, who is upset and angered by the charges made against the tendering process, told the Journal: "We strenuously deny the charges that we obstructed the tendering process.

"All information was made available to all private contractors."

He continued: "We are now consulting a QC to see if we can appeal against the Government's decision.

"The Government simply issued the press release ordering us to re-tender the bid without consulting us first.

"And they also released the bid put in by Bury Contract Services, breaching customer confidentiality."

Councillor Boden praised the work of BCS by saying: "Not only did they put forward the lowest tender, but we believed they could provide the best service.

"And so far we have had very few complaints about their work.'

Bury council has until the end of September to re-tender. News of the appeal comes as another Councillor slammed the bidding procedure imposed by the Government as costing the local authority money which it can little afford.

The authority has won a round of Compulsory Competitive Tendering to take a series of contracts in Construction Related Services and Legal Services - but at a cost of nearly £600 000

Bury Metro's Professional Services Board Chairman Councillor Kevin Scarlett said: " We have argued all along that we are the best to provide these kinds of services.

"The Government insists on Compulsory Competitive Tendering yet makes no funding available to us to cover the cost."

He continued: "The whole system is a sham and it is ridiculous that we can lose hundreds of thousands of pounds in this way - money which would be better spent on providing local services for local people."

Engineering and Architectural Services and Property Management will be run by the authority for two years, with a further two year option subject to council approval.

Thereafter the contract will be put out for tender.

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