A LEADING Scottish architect will today call for an independent review of a decision by Edinburgh City Council to award a (pounds) 60m building contract to Sir Terry Farrell, months after he was appointed the city's ''buildings czar''.
Allan Murray, who designed The Tun building in the city, said the choice of Sir Terry's company and Cala-Morrison to build an extension to the Edinburgh International Conference Centre represented a conflict of interest because of Sir Terry's position as city design champion.
Mr Murray also warned the council was leaving itself open to a judicial review if it refused to agree to independent assessment of the appointment.
He said his company, rejected along with others such as Michael Laird Architects and Comprehensive Design, was beaten in a points scoring system by margin of 0.106%, which was tantamount to a draw.
A spokesman for Sir Terry's company insisted last night there was no conflict of interest, and that his design champion role had no connection with the appointment of his company as preferred bidder in the EICC contract.
The council said yesterday it could not comment on Mr Murray's request as it had not been received, but that Sir Terry's role was an honorary one and it was always envisaged his company would continue to be able to tender for work in the city.
Sir Terry, who designed the existing EICC and the MI6 building in London, was appointed design champion in February.
Mr Murray said he is used to such competition, but that this time he was concerned about the perception of the process being unfair. He also said he is resigning from the city's Civic Design Working Group, of which Sir Terry is figurehead.
''Out of a possible bidding process of 300 points based on aspects like quality and financial, the difference between our team and Farrell's team is 0.106%. Now even George Bush wouldn't get elected on that difference.
''We feel that we should have entered into at least a bidding process with the two teams as they were in effect identical.
''What we want to say to the council is there are a number of questions that we think it needs to address, and we think that, if it doesn't address them, then it is leaving itself wide open for a whole series of issues all the way down to judicial review.
''People will say it is just sour grapes but at the same time, if we weren't involved in the bid, I would still be asking why is this guy bidding for work in the city as well, which is a concern I raised when discussing the champion's appointment.''
A council spokesman said: ''Although it is anticipated that Cala-Morrison will be named, it would be inappropriate to comment on a decision which has yet to be made.
''As the council have not received any official requests for an independent review regarding the possible decision, it would also make it inappropriate to comment at this time.''
A spokesman for Terry Farrell and Partners and Cala-Morrison was unable to say last night whether there had been a stipulation that Sir Terry's company's Edinburgh office should close once he took on the role of design champion, to ensure there was no perception of a conflict of interest.
He said: ''The appointment of Sir Terry as the design guru was totally independent of the work in which his company is involved. It is completely unrelated and there is utterly no conflict.''
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