Organisations within organisations

[megilleland]

I am compiling a list of organisations with links to the council, many of which appear to be duplicating the work of one another and the council and involving in many cases the same names popping up at the helm. Feel free to add any you know or have come across.

[twowheelsgood]

An example to start us off?

[megilleland]

 

Hereford Futures - Overview

Led by the Chairman, Ted Willmott CB OBE and the Chief Executive, Jonathan Bretherton, the company has a board of highly experienced non-paid directors and a small, expert executive team. Working hand-in-hand with the council’s officers and other partners, Futures ensures that the necessary technical skills and experience are brought to bear on various challenges, including finding solutions to highly complex regeneration and physical development problems.

The Leader of the Council chairs the Futures Gateway Committee, which is a forum for considering which projects will be progressed by the company. The primary purpose of the Committee is to agree workload management arrangements for individual projects and to review progress. All decision-making about Council projects is subject to the Council's governance arrangements.

 

[megilleland]

Marches Local Enterprise Partnership

The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership was launched to create the conditions for economic vitality and sustainable employment across this diverse region, globally recognised for its pioneering industrial heritage and entrepreneurial spirit.

[megilleland]

"The Bulmer Foundation has demonstrated in recent years that it can influence the direction of public policy as well as delivering practical outcomes in a collaborative and very professional manner.  The Foundation's influence in the development of the Herefordshire Environment Partnership; their involvement in the Safer Herefordshire Partnership and their pivotal role in facilitating the Sustainable Food Strategy, are good recent examples of this.

 

The Council has been delighted to partner the Foundation in originating New Leaf, h.Energy week and Ecohere - creative approaches to addressing the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions in the county.  These innovations are in my opinion, great examples of what can happen when a local authority and a third sector organisation work really effectively together."

 

Geoff Hughes

Director for Places & Communities, Herefordshire Council

[megilleland]

Herefordshire Business Board

 

The role of the Herefordshire Business Board is be the advocate and voice of business in Herefordshire, through the encouragement and promotion of sustainable business development and inward investment. 

 

The Business Board was initiated by Herefordshire Council as a way of connecting with the business community in Herefordshire, to help inform proposals, plans and strategies and to provide business input into Council processes.  The  board has a role to represent business in Herefordshire and also represents Herefordshire within the Marches LEP, with the Chair sitting on the Marches LEP board. 

[megilleland]

Hereford Enterprise Zone - Skylon Park

The Executive Board oversees progress on the implementation of the Masterplan, marketing, consultation, infrastructure and service delivery and sales.  The Board meets monthly.  Executive Board members are nominated on the basis of the expertise, relevant interest, availability and experience they can bring to the day to day running of the company’s business.

[megilleland]

A few to be going on with. Many more to come across. You can spend hours going through these sites. Interesting reading.

[Denise Lloyd]

Yes I was going to suggest Hereford Futures I think I wrote a little while ago how they are all intertwined.  I think I used company check  or Duedil on various directors and it is fascinating how so many of them are connected either by blood relation/marriage/business.  Where Wilmont lives at Church ViewTarrington there are so many intertwinings it's like pigs around swill! The one thing that does puzzle me I could not find much on Johnson did he not hold any directorships prior to joining HF?

[stupidfrustration]

Can I just defend the bulmer foundation.

 

In essence - Heineken give money to the bummer foundation - in fact Heineken give A LOT of money to the bulmer foundation.

The foundation has local people on it who then put that money into good initiatives for the town.

 

The bulmer foundation are good people trying to do good things for the Hereford community and costing nothing to the public purse only private business ie Heineken

[stupidfrustration]

Hereford business board - made up in the majority of Hereford business boss' to feed info into the lep and the council.

 

Also look at what their objectives are - mainly good people trying to do good things for the community.

[Denise Lloyd]

Hoople and what about that new one is it BID they are also a bit intertwined

[stupidfrustration]

No one can defend hoople

 

The BID - is business owners in the centre of town trying to create a better, busier more attractive town centre for all.

 

I'm thinking about joining the group to add my $0.02

At this stage they are looking for people's views who have an interest in seeing the historic core do well.

[dippyhippy]

Are we going to look at "previous " organisations, such as ESG and Advantage West Midlands, who have ended, then like a phoenix, have risen from the ashes, with a brand new name but the same old faces???

[megilleland]

Herefordshire 20/20

Herefordshire 20/20 is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. Its sole objective is to improve the quality of life for Herefordians through the provision of information, the hosting of open debate, and the support of ideation.

[dippyhippy]

The Marches Local Transport Body?

 

As well as the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership, these have both featured in The Boys Home thread.

 

What about Geoff??

 

His many roles, links to the free school, and his variety of hats?

That's worth its very own thread!

[megilleland]

Appears to be a clash of interests here:

[dippyhippy]

Given his new role, I think I may have to agree with you, Megilleland!

[stupidfrustration]

Are we talking about a person who drives on the roads for a living - having an input on - er - infrastructure?

 

Cos - if we are - you are all mad thinking that is a bad thing! 

[dippyhippy]

Mad??

 

As a box of frogs! Guilty as charged!

[megilleland]

Are we talking about a person who drives on the roads for a living - having an input on - er - infrastructure?

 

Cos - if we are - you are all mad thinking that is a bad thing! 

 

No I was thinking more about the situation within housing. I would have thought there could be a conflict regarding social housing and private property lettings. Regarding driving on the roads for a living, many of us do. I believe there has been a rapid growth in licensed taxis over the last five years. How many taxis block Bewell Street everyday? Who can afford them with the Council cutting subsidies on buses. I stick to my bike to get through this city easily.

 

When you look through the councillors' interests, many declare no interests at all. Maybe that's why the city lacks any imaginative movement. 

[dippyhippy]

I have to be honest Megilleland, it was the taxi issue that first sprang to mind with me.

 

When this issue was covered over at HT, many local business owners commented about the problems with Bewell Street, not just the taxi situation, but the apparently unenforceable parking restrictions which had caused havoc.

 

You certainly don't have to drive for a living to realise the extent of the problems we have in Hereford.....actually, I'd be quite interested on his opinion if he got out of his car, and tested the "infrastructure"on a bicycle!!

 

It may give a completely different perspective!

[Cambo]

Cllr rone went to the same school as I did. he used to run the burger van outside the treacle mine some yrs back. Saw him on Friday as it happens he was delivering take aways in his taxi.

Not sure he'd be so comfortable on a bicycle these days thou megilleland?

[Denise Lloyd]

It is not only people moving from organisation to organisation within the Council it is people leaving the Council who somehow pop up in positions where they can use their former knowledge and expertise to even further their career and naturally help their new employer to greater profits.  Only this week I have heard of a former Planning Officer who quite recently was handling the somewhat more complex PA's having left the Council and moved to a national house developer.  This same person is now employed by a local developer/contractor where no doubt his brain and knowledge will be picked to pieces.  I am amazed at there is not a clause in the Council's Employment Contract forbidding moving into a similar position within the private sector.  I worked for a company where you had to wait 3 years before you moved to a similar role.     

[megilleland]

It is not only people moving from organisation to organisation within the Council it is people leaving the Council who somehow pop up in positions where they can use their former knowledge and expertise to even further their career and naturally help their new employer to greater profits.  Only this week I have heard of a former Planning Officer who quite recently was handling the somewhat more complex PA's having left the Council and moved to a national house developer.  This same person is now employed by a local developer/contractor where no doubt his brain and knowledge will be picked to pieces.  I am amazed at there is not a clause in the Council's Employment Contract forbidding moving into a similar position within the private sector.  I worked for a company where you had to wait 3 years before you moved to a similar role.     

 

BBC H&W News 29th May 2014:

Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire councils consider company

 

Four councils in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire are considering forming a company together to provide the services they require.

 

They claim the plan could save them more than £55m over 10 years.

 

The proposal is now being considered by councillors at Cotswold, Forest of Dean and West Oxfordshire District Councils and Cheltenham Borough Council.

 

It is a proposition that would "protect valued front-line services", said a spokesperson for the councils.

 

The authorities collectively represent more than 400,000 residents in an area of 934 sq miles (2,419 sq km) from Coleford in the Forest of Dean to Witney in Oxfordshire.

 

If the '2020 Vision for Joint Working' is approved, it could effectively lead to the four councils not directly employing any of their own staff, but rather using the resources of the jointly-owned local authority company.

 

Those shared resources could include management, back office support, waste collection, environment services, and auditing.

 

Leader of Cotswold District Council, Lynden Stowe, said: "It is a proper, considered response to a challenge not only of how to best use a smaller and reducing public subsidy, but also how to make best use of technology, how to encourage and use a competitive market, and how to make smart use of managerial and other expertise."

 

I wonder if anyone from HC will be involved in this set up? Read the mantra here as a result of the government's tranformation agenda.

[dippyhippy]

And along these same lines.....the chap whose report recommended the incinerator, then when it was agreed, ran off to work for them!

[megilleland]

Missed the link above. Read the mantra here:

 

A 2020 Vision for Joint Working.pdf

[twowheelsgood]

Tailor made for a certain Mr Bretherton methinks. These arrangements always headline on how many millions it will save over 10 years - £30m in the case of Hoople I recall, £??m in the case of NHS/Hfds Council, £??m in the case of Amey etc etc - its never a saving though - its bigger salaries for those who nab the top spots and after 3 or 4 years it falls apart and off they go to set up the same sham at another authority.

[Denise Lloyd]

I believe the common denominator is Staff Recruitment Agencies.  In an idler moment today I looked at HC expenditure I do not know which month anyway the company Ethica Recruitment Leeds were paid much money.  I had a look at the directors nobody I recognised but it was absolutely amazing the amount of company hopping they had done and in very few years.  It becomes sort of an illness do you imagine these company hoppers have a score board?  Why have I got it in my mind there is a Leeds connection with one of our suits? I am not suggesting there is anything wrong with this company as I am sure they are accredited otherwise the Council would not be using them. 

[dippyhippy]

I see that Marches LEP are advertising for five members of staff to be based in Hereford.

 

One post is for a director.

 

I wonder what the salary for this post will be......and will it be a face that is already known to us??