SENIOR Liverpool council officers made a last-ditch attempt to warn councillors of the risks associated with Merseytram, the Daily Post can reveal.
Chief executive Sir David Henshaw, city solicitor Graeme Creer and executive member for resources Phil Halsall attended the crucial meeting of the ruling Liberal Democrat group on Monday night.
The Lib-Dems agreed that Liverpool should join Knowsley in supporting a joint £24m contingency fund for the tram, making final approval by the city's cabinet on Friday a virtual formality.
The contingency will be used if costs over-run from the current budget of more than £280m.
It is hoped that will convince the Government to release its £170m of support and allow the 11-mile route from Kings Dock to Kirkby to finally go ahead.
But the vital agreement came only after the three officers gave a final warning of their view of the risks associated with the project, another clear sign of the division between councillors and their officers on the merits of Merseytram.
Elected councillors listened to the views of their officials but decided by a 25-8 majority that they wanted to give the £300m project their backing.
Seven of the city cabinet voted in favour of the scheme and two against.
A party source told the Daily Post: "The officers said they would carry out our wishes but then listed all the other schemes that might be jeopardised by supporting the tram.
"The 50m pool at Picton was mentioned, the botanical collection, even alley-gating.
"Graeme Creer was asked whether councillors might be surcharged if it all went wrong. Apparently that can't happen any more but he did mention he would write a letter to all members if he felt we were acting in any way illegally.
"They also said that if we did wish to approve anything beyond the £24m contingency we should do so only after a full due diligence report but of course that would take time we just don't have now."
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