The survey of over 400 people reveals that 62 per cent are ‘certain’ the site will not be built to budget, with a further 27 per cent ‘not confident’ that it will. Only one person in 10 is confident about the Olympics’ financing.
The results cast wider doubt on the perceived ability of the public sector to deliver large-scale projects in the UK. 90 per cent of the public believe that Britain’s public authorities are ‘incapable’ of estimating the cost of major public works, while 84 per cent think that the government has not been ‘straight with the public’ about the required level of funding.
Over half – 52 per cent – feel that poor project management by those involved is the single biggest reason for the escalation in costs since Britain won its bid last summer, with 70 per cent arguing a head contractor should be appointed on a fixed-price contract to ring-fence further public liability. This challenges the existing organisation of the project, by which the central Olympic Delivery Authority has used a number of suppliers to create flexibility.
Says Professor Eddie Obeng, a director of Pentacle: “One too many blunders in managing large public projects of this kind have made a huge dent in public confidence. Wanting accountability is natural and having a central figure feels more reassuring. The irony, of course, is that this is ludicrous. We know from Wembley that head contractors simply bring huge delays.
“The biggest problem is unlikely to be the way the Olympics are managed as much as those involved allowing the scope and scale to balloon in the name of idealism. This is so true of a project like this one, with huge expectations as to the benefits it will deliver to a major area of our capital. What matters is that we deliver.”
Yet for all the misgivings and uncertainty of the long-term benefit of hosting the Games, two thirds of the public think that the government made the right decision in backing Lord Coe’s bid. This is reinforced by an overwhelming 85 per cent who argue that the Olympics will succeed in bringing significant regeneration to east London.
In spite of this, 56 per cent do not feel that further Lottery money should be used to plug the gap in any shortfall, while 72 per cent of respondents think that it is similarly unfair that Londoners should be made to foot the bill.
