OFFICERS of Hertfordshire Highways faced public wrath at a hearing into the dramatic multi-million pound overspend of the St Albans city centre redevelopment.

It was the first time such a hearing had been held in a fully public forum, with residents allowed to represent their concerns before the Highways project topic group.

Several times observers at the hearing at Marlborough School felt the need to shout out objections when officers offered answers to justify the multi-million pound excess.

When the scheme was first put forward the cost estimate was £1.8 million, with £1million being supplied by the Department for Transport (DfT). However it has since emerged that the cost will be closer to £5.2 million.

Speaking at the hearing, Simon Grover, of St Albans District Green Party, said: "It seems to me that the councils concerned have allowed Herts Highways to be free and easy with tax-payers' money.

"I would imagine that limits must have been set at the budgeting stage, beyond which more money would not be forthcoming.

"It seems wrong that such limits could include provision for an overspend of 250 per cent and that the tax-payer, rather than the companies responsible for the mistakes, should then pick up the bill."

The companies in charge of works were Amey Lafarge and Mouchell who were responsible for design.

Hertfordshire co-ordinator for the Association of British Drivers Robert Bolt called the estimate "incompetent", while resident Philip Webster said: "Somebody is culpable to mismanagement to the highest degree."

Chartered engineer Carl French said in his experience the huge overspend like this can only be down to either a mistake in research and development, gross incompetence, corruption or high level interference.

County councillor Bernard Lloyd, who sat on the topic group, pointed out that corruption had been discounted as a reason for the rocketing price.

Defending the project, to heckling from the crowd, Hertfordshire Highways assistant director Rob Smith admitted that the other factors "probably all contributed to the overspend".

* The hearing continues on November 1.