The Audit Scotland Report – called for after widespread concern and complaint over Argyll and Bute Council’s management of the CHORD programme – was published on September 26 and will be summarised in an annual report set to be issued later this month.

It outlines delays in the completion of the project – which had an original finish date of May 2013 – were ‘inevitable due to the contract being re-tendered twice’.

And Helensburgh’s MSP Jackie Baillie believes Argyll and Bute Council must accept responsibility.

She said: “This report shows that Argyll and Bute Council’s mishandling of the procurement process contributed to the significant delays and soaring costs which have dominated the CHORD project.

“In the meantime town centre and seafront retailers have seen sales plummet and local residents have had to put up with the disruption of roadworks which are now around five months behind schedule.

“It’s time for the council to accepts its responsibility to local businesses and compensate them for the loss of trade attributed to the decline in footfall.

“They must also learn lessons from this experience to ensure that future projects can be completed on time and on budget with minimal disruption.” The first retendering of the contract was put down to ‘poor procurement practices’, and the second was approved by the council with the aim of ‘reflecting the views of the community’ during the CHORD referendum in 2012.

Therefore the contract was finally awarded to Maclay Civil Engineering LTD in April 2013 with a view to complete the works by July, 1 2014.

But now the targeted completion date is April 2015 – almost two years later than planned – which the Audit Scotland report put down to ‘failings by the contractor’ and ground conditions since the work began.

The Advertiser has previously reported problems surrounding the ground work. When Maclay’s started on phase two in Colquhoun Sqaure on January 6, Drew Dunion, contracts manager for Maclay’s, said ‘hard rock in the ground, issues with street lighting as well as the discovery of unknown structures’ contributed to the delays.

Argyll and Bute Council said it will use the report’s findings to ‘improve future projects’.

A spokeswoman said: “The work being done through the CHORD project is focused on supporting the future of Helensburgh through regeneration.

“Regular updates on progress on key regeneration projects are available on the council’s website and through the local media.

“The precise details of the contract and financial arrangements with the contractor are commercially sensitive, however the council uses terms and conditions standard to this sector which are appropriate for the project “Following completion of all the works we will review the project and consider any additional lessons for best practice. In the meantime work will continue to progress the project and deliver long term benefit for Helensburgh.” Councillor Ellen Morton, deputy leader, is willing to learn from the report and ‘address the issues you can address’.

She added: “We are all well aware of the problems with the procurement process and the delays this and the CHORD vote have caused.

“Hopefully things can move on and be a lot better now. My general feeling of Audit Scotland reports is you have to take the comments, you may not be 100 per cent happy with them, but you have to take them and learn and address what you can.

“I wasn’t part of the administration at the time, but it was a difficult time with finding a tender for the contract.” A spokesman for MacLay’s Civil Engineering Ltd was unavailable for comment when the Advertiser went to press.