Concern over how West Lothian can tackle the growing housing crisis have been raised after the last few homes in a major refurbishment programme were released - seven years late.
Work started on flats at Bathville Cross in Armadale in early 2015 and was supposed to have been completed in 2017 at a cost of ￡3.8m.
The completed project has cost ￡8m and provided fewer new homes than promised. Refurbishment and building work was finally completed in August last year.
Independent Councillor Stuart Borrowman branded the project a "serial foul-up" and questioned Labour's defence of the finished works.

One of the questions Councillor Borrowman asked was: "What deficiencies in the Council's management of this project have been identified?
Later he said "It certainly wasn't value for money and I'm not confident the necessary lessons have been learned."
The Independent councillor tabled a series of questions to the council's Executive councillor for housing, Councillor George Paul. Councillor Paul answered at this month's meeting of the full council.
Councillor Borrowman said the original plan had been to deliver 21 new homes. He asked how many additional homes had been provided and whether the project was value for money.
Only six homes were new, the rest were former council homes bought back by the council.
Councillor Paul said: "The project delivered 21 new units, being 6 new build units and 15 Open Market Acquisitions being provided via the buy back of former council houses within Armadale and Blackridge.
"In addition to the 21 new units, the project delivered 48 fully refurbished flats should not require any major capital investment in the next 10 years.
"The average cost is ￡117,000 per unit for the 69 properties included in the project. The average cost for each unit compares favourably with the costs for the new build properties being delivered over the last 10 years."

Councillor Paul said the projects had run in a series of delays including the discovery of asbestos, and problems with contractors even before it was hit by the effects of the Covid lockdown.
In his written answer Councillor Paul said: "Large scale regeneration works are recognised as being challenging projects and can often result in increased costs and extended period of works.
"The change to the scope of the works to include additional internal works, resulted in an extended period of works and increased cost.

The impact of the Covid restrictions on the construction sector have also contributed to the extended period of the works and increased costs and these could not have been anticipated.
"The service has reviewed the issues that have arisen from this project and will incorporate measures to mitigate similar issues arising in the planning and management of future projects."
At the meeting Councillor Borrowman responded: "The project was scheduled to finish two and half years before anyone had heard of Covid. Are there deeper reflections that need to go on in the council about the capacity to deliver complex projects?"
Councillor Paul replied: "As well you know there were unforeseen complications in the flats. It has delivered what it was supposed to deliver."

After the meeting councillor Borrowman told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "A project completed seven years late; at more than twice the budgeted cost; with just six of twenty-one new builds promised should have prompted more sober reflection by the Labour administration with more of a commitment to explain how this sort of serial foul-up can be avoided in future.
"That Labour's Housing spokesperson should say the project was good value for money was at best surprising. I think it certainly wasn't value for money and I'm not confident the necessary lessons have been learned."

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