Lockerbie Town Hall safety risk response branded 'weak'

An audit report has criticised the co-ordination of a council's response to problems at a town hall which led to its closure on safety grounds.

It concluded Dumfries and Galloway Council may have suffered "unnecessary reputation damage as a result".

Steeplejacks raised concerns about the structural condition of Lockerbie Town Hall on 23 September last year.

However, the decision to close the 131-year-old building to the public was not taken until a week later.

A report to councillors has examined how the decision was reached and recommended actions which can be taken to avoid any repeat.

It said there had been "strong concern" in the community about why a week was allowed to pass between officers being informed of the "suspect condition" of the building and public protection measures being put in place.

"Officers viewing the video report on 23 September did not share the contractor's concern about the immediate public safety implications of his inspection," it stated.

"They did not consult on this aspect as they should have or refer it to a senior officer as they might have, but relied on their own professional judgment.

"In most situations this is appropriate but in other circumstances the council could be exposed to risks it finds unacceptable."

The report highlighted a "lack of clarity" in whose responsibility it was to decide to close the building.

"The co-ordination of the overall response to the emergency incident was weak which meant important information was not available, both in connection with decisions made and in public communications," it added.

"Consequently, the council may have suffered unnecessary reputation damage in the community and loss of trust on public safety."

A number of recommendations have been put forward to try to learn the lessons from the incident.

A written procedure policy, a "more transparent" process for property maintenance decisions and health and safety training for all "responsible officers" are among the measures being suggested.