COLCHESTER Council has made an exception to its rules to speed up the completion of the Visual Arts Facility and stop the cost increasing.

Normally, councils must invite business to complete pre-qualifying questionnaires for contracts worth at least £250,000.

But Mace, the company project managing the troubled arts centre, recommended the council should not follow the procedure for contracts to carry out the drylining and work on the Vaf’s ceiling, even though both contracts are likely to be worth more than £500,000.

Instead, the council has decided to use trade contractors who have passed the pre-qualifying stage and have carried out previous work on the building.

Paul Smith, councillor responsible for the Vaf, told the council’s cabinet the move was necessary to stop the cost of the Vaf rising further from its current £25million estimate.

He said: “If we didn’t take this process and make this exception to the rules, there would be a delay in the completion of the Vaf by five weeks.

“Every time there’s a delay on the Vaf, the costs go up.

“If we do this, it would be in the best financial interests of the council.”