TOP bosses at Thurrock Council have been invited by the new chair of its Planning, Transport, Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee to answer more questions about the massively overspent and delayed A13 widening and Stanford-le-Hope rail station projects.

Independent Cllr John Allen was awarded the chairmanship in the wake of a shake-up of scrutiny committees which saw the ruling Conservative group remove several Labour members from chairs.

However, Cllr Allen says he is determined not to be seen as a stooge for the ruling group and he wants senior officers to be held to account.

Recently, in an exclusive report, Thurrock Nub News revealed the council has awarded contracts worth close to three-quarters of a million pounds to a consultancy to look at both controversial and botched schemes.

The process of awarding the contract to Mace Ltd was well underway at the last meeting of the committee in early July but no mention was made of it.

Cllr Allen wants to know why and has asked council CEO Lyn Carpenter, Finance Director Sean Clark and Director of Place Andy Millard to appear before his committee.

"There are serious questions that need to be answered, not by junior officers, but by the senior people who should be accountable.

"I will be very disappointed if they do mot appear!"

Tonight's (Monday, 7 September) meeting (7pm) is being held under social distancing guidelines and the council has declined to give admittance to the public and press. The meeting will be screened on the council's You Tube channel but coverage and quality of previous meetings has been notoriously unreliable.