Consultant Schal International Management was last week appointed to project manage the completion of the Welsh assembly's headquarters in Cardiff.
The decision comes more than a year after Schal was sidelined on another major Cardiff development, the 拢92m Wales Millennium Centre project.

The group's first task on the Welsh assembly will be to co-ordinate the expressions of interest from contractors and architects bidding for the 拢33m scheme. A preferred bidder is expected to be chosen by the end of the year.

Last year the Richard Rogers Partnership was sacked as architect and project manager on the project after winning an international competition to design it. The Welsh assembly alleged that the architect had allowed the costs to spiral out of control.

In December 2001, RRP began an adjudication to obtain payment of outstanding fees but the assembly countered with a 拢6.9m claim for damages, arguing that Rogers had been negligent.

The assembly's claim was rejected in February this year and RRP won the dispute in court. The assembly was ordered to pay Rogers nearly 拢450,000 in fees.

Rogers' sacking led to fears that the scheme's design might be simplified. Assembly sources admitted last year that the building's roof might have to be redesigned to cut the overall cost of the project. The roof was budgeted at 拢500,000 but an independent report from quantity surveyor the Symonds Group suggested that it could cost at least three times that.

Symonds was called in to review the cost of the project after the first three stages of construction 鈥� enabling, piling and preliminary work 鈥� all exceeded their budgets. Piling work alone cost almost 拢500,000, nearly three times more than expected.

In August, RIBA president Paul Hyett attempted to reconcile the differences between the Cardiff politicians and RRP. This came to nothing, and in September Hyett condemned the sacking as a "stupid decision". Many local architects agreed with Hyett and refused to bid for the scheme when it was retendered.