A LEADING opposition councillor has blasted highways contractor Balfour Beatty Living Places for how they work.

Liberal Democrat group leader Terry James told Thursday's Herefordshire Council cabinet meeting how local traders had been monitoring street works in Kington.

He said it was a scandal how workers turn up at a job at 9.30am, don’t start work until 10.30am and then leave at 3pm.

Coun James called on the cabinet, who were discussing plans for a new contract for building maintenance, small works and cleaning services, to ensure contracts are awarded on a per job basis rather than an hourly rate .

“All I hope during these negotiations or contracting is that we do a better job than with Balfour,” he said.

“I’ve got some information of work that has been done in my ward where the locals have been monitoring the work that has been done – and it’s an appalling scandal.

“Turning up at 9.30am, starting work at 10.30am and going at two or three o'clock in the afternoon, and we’re paying for that.

“The contract, I hope, is on a per job basis. This business of contracts which are on hourly rates can be so easily manipulated in order to provide massive benefits for the contractor and little benefit to the taxpayer in this county.

“It’s appalling what’s going on at the moment. I’ve got evidence here of local people and traders monitoring Balfour Beatty and their work.

“I do hope we have a contract that it is a little more savvy and business like in the way in which it operates than we are currently operating.”

Commissioning, procurement and assets cabinet member Gemma Davies thanked councillor James for his comment.

“One of the areas that is going to be introduced is key performance indicator dashboards so we are able to see how the contract is performing," she said.

“That contains any complaints which have been made as well.”

Balfour Beatty has been approached for a comment through Herefordshire Council.