Scrutiny debate into £500,000 for ESG confirmed

9:36am Friday 2nd November 2012 in County By Bill Tanner

A scrutiny committee will debate the decision by Herefordshire Council's cabinet to pay £500,000 to British Land - funding partner in Hereford's ESG scheme.

The meeting - at this stage in open session - is set for the council's Brockington HQ at 10am next Friday (Nov 9).

The issue of the £500,000 - pitched as a variation to contract - will be introduced to the committee for debate by the chairman, Councillor Alan Seldon, as an urgent item.

Cabinet sanctioned the £500,000 payment at a special meeting on Wednedsay having been told the decision would get the ESG deal done.

But the deal cannot be confirmed as done until the scrutiny process is complete. Cabinet is scheduled to meet straight after the scrutiny committee on Friday.

British Land raised the stakes on the deal saying "changing market conditions" meant that for it to continue it needs to see a change in the financial return from the development.

 Site developer Stanhope would meet the shortfall in the terms of its funding agreement with British Land in part by accepting a £500,000 reduction in the payments it was owed from Stanhope and British Land.

Key questions for the scrutiny committee:

* When was it first known that the £500,000 would be needed ?

* Could the £500,000 be considered unlawful state aid to Stanhope and, thus, open to legal challenge?

 

Comments(16)

gedina says...
10:11am Fri 2 Nov 12

An open session meeting?
So who will be going along to ask a few pertinent questions, or aren't public questions allowed?

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Biomech says...
11:01am Fri 2 Nov 12

Excuse me for being thick, but I don't understand; after all the ****, delays, meetings and money spent - they haven't actually sealed the deal?

And all this says is that everyone involved should demand more money and the morons at Hereford Council will pay out.

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TwoWheelsGood says...
12:40pm Fri 2 Nov 12

biomech - yes, you are correct on all points.

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Biomech says...
2:29pm Fri 2 Nov 12

Wow, really? I don't take much interest in politics, I just say what I see, the babbling and stalling doesn't interest me in the slightest, you either do or your don't.

And I don't see much happening. So if that is correct - wow, I am actually astonished.

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bobby47 says...
3:20pm Fri 2 Nov 12

In the unlikely event that me and Councillor Jarvis ever found ourselves together, aboard some old chartered boat, floating in the Southern Oceans and we were both required to dress in some stupid sea going themed costume. Him, as a World War 2 Japaneese Admiral with a decorative sword and me, as some buccaneer's, weavil chewing, buxom moll who's make up had been generously applied during a total eclipse by some deranged one legged, gap toothed drunk that we'd both met in the Old Ugly Nag's Head before we left harbour. And then the boat blew up because there was an engine fault that should have most certainly been spotted before we even set out on this rediculous and lunacy fuelled voyage and then we both survived the terrible explosion, clinging on to some debris that originated from the hull of the boat. And as we drifted,at the mercy of the winds, clutching our God given piece of wreckage exchanging hurtful insults regarding the downfall of High Town and the failed flood defences in Merton Meadow Car Park and then, eventually, we both got washed up on some beautiful and exotic island, where there was an endless supply of booze, the Sun newspaper to track Elvis's movements and whereabouts, food, tobacco and a small pocket size Derringer pistol and a single bullet. I'd use that gun and that bullet the moment we'd both got our breath back and gazed up at the sky shouting, Thank you Jesus. Thank you Lord. I'd either shoot him, screaming, 'Give me back my half a million quid' or, I'd say, 'I'll be damned if I'm going to spend a lifetime in the company of a man who wants me to cozy up to some Bull. I hate you Jarvis' and then I'd blow my own brains out.

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Herefordian07 says...
4:27pm Fri 2 Nov 12

Glad to see you back on top form Bobby
and I would love to see Jarvis in a Japanese admirals suit too, unfortunately he isn't Japanese otherwise he would comit harikari for failing in his duties !

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Roger J says...
9:14am Sat 3 Nov 12

As they've already borrowed £23 million in the last few months I suppose another £500,000 is only a drop in the ocean to these morons.

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Grid Knocker says...
9:36am Sat 3 Nov 12

Cllr James hit the nail on the head when, back in July, he said: "This is just a vanity project." By which, he meant that the political 'vanity' of at least two individuals hang in the balance as to whether or not the accursed Edgar Street Grid scheme goes ahead. The 'community conditions' of this site prevent my naming these two councillors (but you can use your imagination) save to say that they're both Tories, and to use the epithet 'thick as two short planks' would be a gross defamation of the timber industry.

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Biomech says...
11:20am Sat 3 Nov 12

This is outrageous. All this money spent and theres not even a contact to do the work, no one has even said yes to it.

Can one of you more in the know people tell me how much has been spent and borrowed for this and who the **** we complain to?

I think this factual oversight needs to be more publicly raised. I imagine most of Hereford, like myself, thought the deal had been done and a contract was in place. That they were taking so long because they never get on and get things done efficiently

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Lukio says...
2:33pm Sat 3 Nov 12

Can we make representations of our disgust through local councillors such as the Independants and IOC? If so, I think it's about time we did.

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Biomech says...
2:39pm Sat 3 Nov 12

I agree with Lukio. To whom do we complain to? These people must answer to someone?

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dippyhippy says...
3:53pm Sat 3 Nov 12

Why is it, that all of these meetings seem to take place at a time of day that the majority of people are working,and cannot attend? Do they take written questions,submitted in advance?and if so,could we collectively send something. If anybody knows,I'd like to hear!

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bobby47 says...
5:46pm Sat 3 Nov 12

William, You are without any doubt in my unstable mind one of the most articulate and awkward Posters that I have come across.
Lukio is right when he politely refers to you as a ringer, a foot soldier for the Councils current message.
I ain't attacking you Will but please don't give Bill Tanner a kicking for doing his job. Without him and his colleagues we'd all be in serious trouble and this Council would face no resistance at all.
The truth is, for any democracy to work and work well there has to be opposition. It's a truth and balance kind of thing. I want Bill Tanner and his colleagues to carry on doing exactly what they are doing now.
I also want you to carry on doing exactly the same thing. It's good to disagree, it's good to object and it all brings about a healthy state of local government.
My best regards.

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megilleland says...
10:07am Sun 4 Nov 12

Concerning Council expenditure here are some useful sights to find out what your local council spends. Its pays (excuse the pun!) to start with Accounts and Audit Regulations here:
http://www.orchardne
ws.com/accaudreg.htm


The Department for Communities and Local Government has a search engine to enable taxpayers and voters to locate details of all council expenditure above the £500 threshold, but this is available for England alone.
http://local.direct.
gov.uk/LDGRedirect/M
apLocationSearch.do?
LGSL=1465&LGIL=8

You can then spend hours wading through the information for each month going back years.

On the point of inspecting the accounts of the council - all of the material, including detailed contracts, invoices and bills are available during the statutory public inspection period. This takes place for 20 working days (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) between the end of the relevant local government financial year (beginning of April) and the completion of the annual audit process (usually end of September).

Not sure exactly when this takes place. There was a public notice in the Hereford Times last week (Nov 1st p138) advertising the Notice of conclusion of audit for the accounts 2011/12. Anyone enlighten me when these accounts are available for inspection. Maybe our councillors or William Rudd can tell us when to look out for this inspection period.

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Biomech says...
12:09pm Sun 4 Nov 12

Thanks for the link. Certainly eye opening.
Interesting that they spent nearly half a million on waste services (focsa) and £200,000 on a network management provider.

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megilleland says...
1:34pm Sun 4 Nov 12

Just browsing through Council contracts here:
https://beta.herefor
dshire.gov.uk/govern
ment-citizens-and-ri
ghts/democracy/trans
parency-council-expe
nditure-and-contract
s/

These stand out:
Amey Wye Valley Ltd/Amey Owen Williams Ltd
01/09/2009 to 01/09/2013 potentially to 31st August 2023
£72,000,000 Estimated whole contract value

Herefordshire Jarvis Services Ltd
01/09/2003 to 01/09/2013
potentially to 31st August 2023
£75,000,000 Estimated whole contract value

Mercia Waste Management
23/12/1998 to 01/12/2023
£227,500,000 Estimated whole contract value

Focsa (UK) Ltd
01/11/2009 to 01/11/2016
potentially to 01/11/2023
£28,000,000

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