Leaders of Birmingham City Council have privately signalled their intention to press ahead with controversial plans for a split-site library, effectively sidelining a highly critical scrutiny report.
Senior cabinet members are understood to have ordered work to proceed as quickly as possible on developing the business case for the £147 million scheme - which involves building a lending and reference library at Centenary Square and a family history and archive centre at Millennium Point.
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A project manager is to be appointed with a remit to do everything possible to deliver the split-site option for the council.
The move finally puts paid to hopes of resurrecting a £180 million proposal for a Library of Birmingham at Eastside by the acclaimed architect Lord Richard Rogers.
The split-site option was condemned by the council's main scrutiny committee, which accused the cabinet of rushing a decision on the library without considering the full facts.
The committee was particularly critical of the cabinet's failure to ask consultants Gardiner and Theobald, who advised on the Eastside library, to examine the financial case for a split-site solution.
By failing to ask the consultants to compare the cost of Eastside against the cost of the split-site option the cabinet had "defied common sense", the committee concluded.
Officially, the cabinet has agreed to an eight-week breathing space to consider the scrutiny report.
However, John Alden, the cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture, told a full council meeting earlier this week that he was moving ahead with the split-site option.
His remarks appear to be supported by the council's own website which records the cabinet a week ago as having agreed to appoint a project manager to deliver the splitsite library.
Cabinet members are determined not to re-open the Eastside debate and will not, under any circumstances, order a further consultants report.
The cabinet's stance threatens to provoke a crisis between the council executive and scrutiny committees.
A possible compromise is being explored, under which a former city council officer would be appointed to negotiate between the cabinet and Gardiner and Theobald.
Michael Wilkes, chairman of the main scrutiny committee, stressed that the cabinet was yet to take a formal decision to build the split-site library.
"That is my crystal clear understanding," he said.
However, he added: "I am well aware of developing realities.
"I understand that phrases like kicking scrutiny into the long grass have been used. Well, the one thing you cannot kick into the long grass is the absence of facts upon which the move to favour a split site option was based.
"That evidence is singularly lacking."
Coun Wilkes (Lib Dem Hall Green), who is seeking an urgent meeting with Mike Whitby, the council leader, added: "This is a very significant moment in the relationship between scrutiny and the executive."
Sir Albert Bore, leader of the Labour opposition group, said it was clear that the cabinet was determined to ignore the scrutiny findings.
Sir Albert (Ladywood) added: "I think Mick Wilkes is being brushed off. He goes to see Mike Whitby, is given a soothing word or two, and he believes what he hears."
