MORE than £1.4million of taxpayers’ money was wasted after the completion of building work on a school for special needs children was delayed by almost a year.

Essex County Council’s executive scutiny committee criticised ISG Jackson Ltd, a contractor hired by the local authority to build the new Pioneer Special School building, in Ghyllgrove, Basildon.

The committee published a report complaining about lengthy delays, which meant the school was opened ten-and-a-half months later than originally planned.

The Echo has also discovered while ISG Jackson assured the council it would stick to a £9million budget, taxpayers ended up having to fork out £10.4million.

Steve Horsted, headteacher of Pioneer School, said: “The original build was significantly delayed in its completion.

“We were due to move in there in the summer of 2008, but didn’t actually do it until January 2009.

“I know one of the subcontractors went in to liquidation, which caused some delays.”

The report recognised some of the delays were caused by sub-contractor Warners, which was supposed to install heating, hot and cold water, and electrics, but became insolvent before the job was completed.

This caused delays while a replacement company was found.

The committee was also critical of the council for hiring ISG Jackson ahead of other companies which rightly estimated it would cost far more than £9million to do the job.

It recommended council bosses take more care in future in checking companies which provide the cheapest quote in the tendering processes for major building schemes, really can do the job at the estimated price.

A council spokeswoman said: “Due to the complexity of the project, the work required more investment than originally anticipated.

“Essex County Council has put new measures in place to ensure this sort of overspend does not occur again.”

No one was available for comment at ISG Jackson.