Strategic Partnership Ended Before It's Begun.
05 Mar 2010
Pits n Pots can today confirm that Stoke-on-Trent City Council plans to switch up to 800 jobs to the proposed Central Business District in Hanley have been scrapped.
The City Council had proposed to switch the jobs to a private company. The preferred bidders were Balfour Beatty Workplace/BT Global Solutions and Serco who are still fighting for the contract.
The jobs would have included members of the Human Resources, CCTV maintenance, IT and Administration departments. They were informed that the proposed move had been scrapped in a memo yesterday.
Sources informed Pits n Pots yesterday that councillors had been told of the decision in a private briefing by Chief Executive John van de Laarschott yesterday morning. He informed the elected members present that the project would not realise the return necessary to make it viable and that he was recommending the Cabinet to drop the plans.
A number of councillors are said to be outraged at the waste of some £1.5 million of public money.
We will bring you audio reaction to this story later.
Excellent news shows we can
Excellent news shows we can have faith in new chief exec, but sadly highlights the poor quality of nodding donkeys with have, just following officers orders. If this was strong councillor policy they would be fighting to keep it on track
¨°o.O O.o°¨°o.O O.o°¨°o.O O.o°¨°o.O O.o°¨°o.O O.o°¨°o.O
¨°o. Keeping an eye on Labours past pledges http://labourstodo.tk/
¨°o. Non-Party Candidates 2011 don't split your vote reserve a ward now
¨°o. http://nonpartycandidates.tk/
I agree - this policy was
I agree - this policy was challenged by PKB and Mick Salih a while back, but was nodded through despite some very obvious questions that were left unaswered. The £1million plus bill just on consultants was in the public domain, but most councillors did not challenge - no wonder the city is in the mess it is in. Where does it leave Cllr Clarke, now the scheme has been shown to be fundamentally flawed?
More sensible straight talking from the CEO - a true breath of fresh air, after years of spin and backroom deals.
How can the Council employ
How can the Council employ 800(!) just in "Human Resources, CCTV maintenance, IT"? I'd have thought you could do it with 80, but what do I know...
....very little apparently.
....very little apparently. You may not know, but you should have, that these 800 carry out many other diverse and necessary roles for our citizens. I think your figure of 80 for HR,CCTV, IT is about right, or maybe a little generous.
Ian says... "Excellent news
Ian says...
"Excellent news shows we can have faith in new chief exec, but sadly highlights the poor quality of nodding donkeys with have, just following officers orders. If this was strong councillor policy they would be fighting to keep it on track"
Couldn't agree more friend! Hopefully there will be more examples of confident leadership as time goes on.
If memory serves me right the
If memory serves me right the deal was the product of Mark Meredith's time at Cannes re quote from speech made in Cannes in 07
"Economic Regeneration through the Creation of a High Value Business District
The development of a Business District is being promoted through a joint venture arrangement between the city council and Advantage West Midlands. A consultancy team led by GVA Grimley has recently been appointed to prepare a Master Plan and Development Framework.
The vision for the Business District is to create a new office-led mixed use scheme within the City Centre. It will create a business, living and recreational environment of regional significance that combines the benefit of high quality accommodation within close proximity to the full range of facilities offered by a vibrant City Centre.
The extent of the scheme may be in the order of 62,000 sq metres of which 12,000 sq metres could be ancillary uses such as retail/leisure/city centre living. Our aim is to attract up to 2,500 new jobs many of which will be in the professional services sector.
The creation of a Business District is seen as a crucial component of the future economic health of the city. The Business District will form a new gateway to the revitalised City Centre and will provide an opportunity to deliver high quality architecture and design set within high quality public spaces"
Shouls someone be asking for their money back?
--
"No one in this world, so far as I know,has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby". HL Mencken
www.billcawleyresearch.co.uk
Post new comment