KIRKLEES Council is trying to claw back some of the money from the controversial £5m redevelopment of St George’s Square in Huddersfield.

The revamp was completed a year behind schedule after contractor Wrekin went in to administration.

And now the Examiner can reveal that Kirklees is trying to get an insurance pay-out.

The council took out a £330,000 performance bond before the regeneration work began in June 2008.

A Kirklees spokesman said yesterday: “We have a performance bond, with a maximum value of £330,000, in respect of work performed by Wrekin.

“We have indicated our intention to make a claim to the bond provider.

“Full details of the claim have taken time to calculate as the situation was complicated by the large number of contractors used to complete this award-winning project.

“The claim will be submitted soon and it’s expected that the matter will be resolved within the next few months.”

The revamp – which included the installation of water jets and a cascade – was due to be finished by October 2008.

However the regeneration was plagued by problems and was not completed until October 2009 – costing £5m rather than the original £4m.

Work ground to a halt for three weeks in March 2009 when contractor Wrekin went into administration.

Some 530 people lost their jobs at the Shropshire-based company.

Clr Tony Woodhead, who has been a prominent critic of the way the revamp was managed, was glad to learn of the performance bond yesterday.

But the Lindley Lib Dem believes Kirklees should have made a claim earlier.

“This just seems to go on and on. It’s some considerable time since the project ended,” he said.

“It seems, from a layman’s point of view, that this is taking a long time.”

Clr Woodhead added that the compensation claim was holding up a final report into the regeneration.

He said: “I’ve been chasing up this report for a long time to find out what went wrong and what went right with the regeneration.

“Apparently we have to wait until all the financial issues are resolved until we get the final report.

“I think it should have all been wrapped up by now.”