Police station delay “due to legal hitch”

The Faroese Builders’ Union has responded to speculation regarding the delayed construction of a new police station in the capital.

The union argues that the tender for the building project was incompatible with Faroese rules, regulations and practices, and this discouraged Faroese contractors from applying for preapprovals.

It has now emerged that the union informed the Danish Building and Property Agency, which manages the project, of the problem and requested that the tender be made in agreement with Faroese rules and regulations.

But according to the union, this request was not approved as the Danish agency argued that invitations to tender should be made in accordance with Danish law.

Another complication, according to the Builders’ Union, is that the project was a procurement based on operational needs, requiring bidders to submit complete project designs for many of the services.

This, argues the Builders’ Union, presents significant risks, both in terms of bidding and the actual construction work.

Ole Birk Olesen, the Danish Minister for Building and Construction, has requested the Danish Parliament’s finance committee to increase the appropriation for the new police station in Tórshavn from DKK 108m to DKK 138m.

In his additional grant request, Olesen wrote that Faroese contractors were informed of the project details prior to the request for proposals.

Danish construction firm Ommen og Møller has now been contracted to build the new police station at Húsagøta in Tórshavn.

Translated by prosa.fo