Market Place contractors going into administration has 'no direct implications' on ongoing maintenance says council chief

Council chief Andrew Tubb also confirmed that Malcolm Gilmore, chairman of newly-formed action group Review Our Market Place (ROMP), to help address issues caused by the revamp, has not yet directly contacted CTC.

According to Companies House, Swindon-based Milbrooke Construction Ltd were placed into administration in May, having completed the building phase of the £1.3m scheme in February, after 12 months.

Speaking to Standard, council chief Andrew Tubb went on to say: “The 12-month maintenance period is the responsibility of the town council prior to maintenance responsibility returning back to the county council.”

He assured that CTC “does not owe any money to Milbrooke” but “does have a small retained fund for any defects arising from contractor works during the maintenance period”.

“If unused these funds would be required to be paid over to the administrator,” he added.

Mr Tubb said a report with further information is being prepared for the full town council meeting in September, including an update and response to public concerns with the regenerated Market Place.

Regarding ROMP, Mr Tubb said as and when Mr Gilmore, a member of the town’s chamber of commerce and civic society, contacts the council, it “will obviously respond to any concerns that he has”.

Speaking in February at a public Retail Forum meeting, Mr Tubb said the town council is required to do four independent audits in relation to the scheme.

“We've done two already, a third one is due to be done on completion of the scheme,” he said at the time. “A fourth one will be carried out in 12 months’ time.”

He also said that CTC has an agreement with the county council that if any maintenance works are required in the Market Place in future “the stone won't be replaced by tarmac, it will be replaced on a like-for-like basis”.