A REPORT into the future of retail in Wirral town centres failed to account for the impact of the huge Liverpool One development, it has emerged.

Now the firm which completed it is to be paid an extra £22,000 to account for its effect, a move branded “a disgrace” by a leading councillor last night.

Tory leader Jeff Green attacked the decision to pay out the extra cash after the same consultants had completed a report less than a year ago – at an initial cost of £44,000.

Wirral Council’s cabinet approved the extra cash for Roger Tym & Partners (RTP) but has come under fire from Conservative opposition for adding half as much again to the value of the original contract.

Deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for corporate services, Cllr Simon Holbrook, defended the move and said the decision had been “common sense”.

He said the original report would only have used projections and estimates of the impact of Liverpool One, and this would allow more accurate data to be collected.

But Cllr Green said he was astonished at the decision to pay out a total of £66,000 to take into account the Liverpool One development “which everyone knew was being built”.

Cllr Green said: “You could not make this up. It should have at least formed part of the original contract.

“We’re told that the council has financial problems and everything is being done to control expenditure, and yet this was pushed through by the leadership.

“The entire operation that the council has with consultants needs tighter control.

“They produced a report without taking into account Liverpool One, when everyone knew it was being built.

“Then they employ the same consultants to put right what was left out of the original report.

“That money could have kept open one or even two libraries – yet no-one seems to have batted an eyelid at the additional cost. It’s a disgrace.”