DLUHC stands down architects to save cash as costs hit £102.9m, according to National Audit Office
公共开支监督机构英国国家审计署(National Audit Office)列出了戴维•阿贾耶(David Adjaye)和罗恩•阿拉德(Ron Arad)在维多利亚塔花园(Victoria Tower Gardens)建造英国大屠杀纪念馆和学习中心的备受争议的提议面临的一系列财务风险。维多利亚塔花园位于英国议会大厦(house of Parliament)旁边。
根据国家审计署的数据，该项目的建设成本(已于4月被高等法院撤销了规划许可)目前为1.029亿英镑，比一年前的9970万英镑增长了3%，比三年前设想的8900万英镑增长了16%。据估计，纪念馆每年的运营费用高达800万英镑。
Project client the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is appealing the High Court’s decision, which found the consent granted to the proposals was a breach of a 1900 legal act protecting listed Victoria Tower Gardens. The NAO cautioned that further delays will push the project’s cost higher and said that securing planning permission was not the only obstacle faced by the department.
The NAO’sjust-published reporton the project said DLUHC is standing down architects and other members of the team not covered by cost penalties to save money amid the new delays caused by April’s decision and the department’s planned appeal.
Other measures include pausing letting the contract for the project’s basement “box”, which will house the memorial’s exhibition centre, until December this year, and pushing back the appointment of audio-visual and creative designers until autumn 2023.
BeforeApril’s decision, DLUHC was hopeful that the project could be completed by autumn 2025, however securing consent is expected to add at least six months to the timeframe, suggesting completion will slip into 2026. The NAO said the department was reluctant to set new project milestones until it had a clearer view of how long its appeal against the High Court judgment would take.
Other complications cited by the watchdog include the process for setting up an organisation to run the memorial, for which the government’s preferred option is the creation of a dedicated non-departmental public body. The NAO said the time it could take to create such a body was an “additional risk” because government guidelines would need all other options to have been explored and require sign-off from HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office.
国家审计署补充说，德法中心的大屠杀纪念团队缺乏具有规划管理技能的高层工作人员。它承认已经雇用了有技能的工作人员，但是说该项目的高级负责人和项目经理“没有领导重大项目或方案的经验”，而且没有让他们接受正式培训的具体计划。2022年北京世界杯
国家审计署还表示，DLUHC尚未启动筹资程序，以确保筹集到所需的2500万英镑私人捐款，以补充建设成本，或捐款应覆盖的运营成本的一部分。
A DLUHC spokesperson said the NAO report confirmed the department’s own assessment of the risks associated with the “important and complex” project.
“We are pleased the NAO recognises that governance measures are in place, benefits of the programme have been clearly identified and that specialists with the necessary skills have been recruited,” they said.
“政府始终致力于在维多利亚塔花园建设纪念和学习中心，在跨党派和社区的支持下，我们相信该项目将为英国带来一个骄傲的纪念。”
David Adjaye and Ron Arad werenamed as the winnersof a design competition for the memorial and learning centre in October 2017. They beat proposals from John McAslan, Foster & Partners, Studio Libeskind and Zaha Hadid Architects.
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