Although suggesting that Glasgow 2014 are on track and within their £524 million ($830 million/€627 million) budget, Audit Scotland's Glasgow 2014 Progress Report Two showed the Athletes' Village is due to be completed less than five months before the Games begin on July 23 and that if difficulties arise, more money may be needed to ensure it is ready in time.

"There are a number of risks to delivering the Athletes' Village on budget and to the required standard in time for the Games," says the report.

"A key risk arises from the fact that some of the Organising Committee's specific requirements for the temporary works were not built into the development agreement between Glasgow City Council and City Legacy.

"This was mainly due to the need to begin procurement in advance of the appointment of the Organising Committee's key staff responsible for developing the specification for the temporary works within the Village.

"If changes are required to the design, this could lead to delays and potential cost increases to be met from the Games budget."

Another warning has also been sounded on Hampden Park, the 52,063 capacity football stadium in the city that will be will be converted into a temporary track and field venue for Glasgow 2014 in order to host both athletics and the Closing Ceremony.


Like the Athletes' Village, the temporary athletics venue is due to be completed less than five months before the Games, while the installation of a temporary track and field facility means that the level of the playing field must be raised by 1.5 metres.

"This is an innovative solution, which has not been tested anywhere before and therefore presents a risk of potential increased costs if unforeseen problems emerge," the report warns.

"The risk of increased costs is greater if the development is delayed as it is not due to be ready until less than five months before the Games.

"As it is a technically innovative project it presents a higher risk of delays and increases to the £28 million ($44 million/€34 million) cost.

"Any extra cost would need to be met from the Games budget."

There is also a risk that security costs may be higher than expected based on the experience of other Games because security planning for Glasgow 2014 is still at a relatively early stage.

"It is not clear whether the £27 million ($42 million/€32 million) security budget is intended to cover all security costs related to the Games," says the report.

"Based on the experience of previous Games, security is particularly at risk of cost increases."


Glasgow 2014 remains on time and on budget and faces less risk than previous Games because 70 per cent of the infrastructure is already in place but Auditor General for Scotland Robert Black (pictured) admitted that organisers must remain aware of the key risks that have been highlighted.

"At this stage, the organisers are identifying and managing these risks but cannot eliminate them completely," Black said.

"The key risks are potential cost increases.

"Many aspects of the Games are still under development and therefore these costs are uncertain.

"The organisers aim to deliver the Games within the £524 million ($830 million/€627 million) budget, and to do this they will need to maintain tight control over spending and review their plans and budgets regularly."

Glasgow 2014 have welcomed the assessment and said that they remain committed to delivering the Games to the required standard within their budget.

"We are pleased the Progress Report also recognises that, with 70 per cent of infrastructure already in place, the risks around delivering Glasgow 2014 are less than for other Games," said a Glasgow 2014 spokesperson speaking on behalf of Games Partners.

"As identified in this report there are risks associated with delivering a complex multisport event of this scale.

"However, we are pleased to note the Auditor General's comments that Partners are identifying key risks and managing them.

"The focus for Glasgow 2014 and our Games Partners continues to be delivering an outstanding Commonwealth Games experience.

"In challenging economic times, it is essential we make every effort to ensure best value in delivering a dynamic and exciting Games experience for athletes, spectators and for Scotland."

The full report is available here.

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