COUNCILLORS will this week be asked to call-in Police Scotland to carry out a “new, full and thorough” investigation into North Ayrshire Council’s controversial Schools Public Private Partnership (PPP) project.

In a Motion to be heard at tomorrow’s (Wednesday) meeting of the full Council, the SNP’s Tony Gurney and Independent Ronnie McNicol will ask councillors to instruct the current Chief Executive, Elma Murray, to invite Police Scotland to carry out a new probe.

The Schools PPP contract was signed in 2006 by the then Council Chief Executive Ian Snodgrass.

With a value, at the time, of £80m, the project to build and maintain four local schools is now costing North Ayrshire Council over £1m every month and will eventually cost local taxpayers over £400m.

The schools built were St Matthew’s Academy, Greenwood Academy, Arran High School and Stanley Primary School.

The move follows revelations in a documentary, The Only Game In Town, which appears to show there was only ever one credible and viable bid for the multi-million- pound council contract.

Documents shown in the film indicate council officials were told a second bid had failed to meet required standards at the first Key Stage Review, but the bid was allowed to remain.

In the documentary it is argued this was done so the Council could claim to have ‘genuine competition’, a requirement of EU Procurement Regulations.

The film also contains interviews with two former senior detectives, in which it is claimed an original police investigation, carried out at the time, lasted just two weeks and failed to even interview the complainers.

Ardrossan and Arran councillor Tony Gurney, who will move the motion, said: “The Only Game In Town raises some very serious questions that require answers. I believe those answers will only be forthcoming if a new, full and thorough police investigation is carried out into all aspects of the procurement process that led to the council signing-up to a contract now costing taxpayers more than £1m every month.

“I hope all councillors will recognise that local people are angry about what The Only Game In Town has revealed. People want action on this matter and are looking to their councillors to provide that action. By instructing the Chief Executive to call-in Police Scotland, and by ensuring everything is done at council-level to cooperate fully with a new police investigation, then hopefully we will finally get to the bottom of what actually happened.”