Express & Star comment: The public needs answers over Civic Hall debacle

The overhaul is set to cost a staggering £23.6 million more than planned, after surveys revealed a series of additional structural, mechanical, electrical and engineering issues.

Rather than attempting to paper over the cracks, the city council needs to launch a thorough investigation into what went wrong with this job.

The attitude at the moment from those in charge appears to involve a collective shrugging of the shoulders.

You can almost hear them say: "Oh well, it can't be helped."

Not good enough

This simply is not good enough.

We are talking about a venue that is a jewel in the city's crown. It plays a vital role in the local economy, not just for Wolverhampton but also for the wider Black Country and Staffordshire.

The public deserves to know why the fact that the revamp was rife with problems was not noticed at an earlier juncture.

It seems astonishing that after working on the building for 18 months it suddenly became apparent that it needed a new roof.

The council must waste no time in announcing alternative venues in the city for events that the Civic can no longer host.

While bosses insist that the Grand Slam of Darts will remain in Wolverhampton, many people are already questioning whether another suitable site exists here.

The city cannot afford to lose any major events.

Answers

It took the Civic years to rebuild its reputation after falling from grace around the turn of the century.

The last thing the venue's bosses need is to have to go through that whole rigmarole all over again.

The council says the extra cash will come from the sale of surplus council land and buildings, but such a claim requires a more detailed explanation.

Have any specific surplus land or buildings been identified?

Have these sites already been sold, or are they in the process of being sold?

The Black Country's premier live music venue must not be allowed to fall by the wayside.

When you take into account the huge overspend on the Interchange project, and the doubling in cost of the markets move, the city council has not exactly covered itself in glory over the last 12 months.

The public deserves answers.