OIC audit to be carried out into 80,000-tonne stone order

February 4, 2021 at 1:56 pm

The order has been sparked by a lack of stone reserves at Cursiter Quarry. (Orkney Photographic)

An internal audit is to be carried out by Orkney Islands Council relating to the procurement of 80,000 tonnes of stone from Oban.

The decision by the development and infrastructure committee to import the stone from Glensanda Quarry has caused public uproar.

The council’s interim chief executive has instructed a review into the processes be carried out, and a report and its findings will be considered by the council’s own monitoring and audit committee in “due course”.

OIC said: “We are unable to provide further information until the review process is complete and matters reported to the committee.”

It is not clear what effect — if any — this will have on the order placed.

On Wednesday afternoon, The Orcadian asked for details on the tendering process involved in the decision to purchase, ship and transport the stone from Oban.

OIC has not yet responded to this request.