Hereford Voice 'Councillor Sessions' - Cllr. Liz Harvey Introduction

[Hereford Voice]

Cabinet Member - Finance and Corporate Services - Councillor Liz Harvey has agreed to be put under the spotlight to answer your questions in the second series of our 'exclusive' Q & A 'Councillor Sessions'.

#herefordvoice #hfdvcs

[Victor Wright]

When does the Balfour Beatty contract expire and do you feel we have been given value for money from them? 

[twowheelsgood]

That seems like a huge portfolio!

What progress is being made on the election pledge to review the Balfour Beatty Living Places contract? In the light of the Link Road overspend and the ongoing debacle that is the Fownhope repair, the need has never been more urgent. The contract claims to offer 'value for money, facilitated by process improvement and transparency through open book accounting' - what is this 'open book' and who is independently monitoring it? When BBLP are a private business with profit from ratepayers going to shareholders, how is this better value than direct labour? Why is filling the same pothole week after week after week value for money rather than doing it once properly?

When will we get an explanation of what went so drastically wrong with the Blueschool House project? Who has been brought to account for a 100% overspend? Please don't say 'lessons have been learned!".

Why is it that the same local builder seems to be working more or less permanently on Council projects - what is the tendering procedure?

What is the the Council’s 'new project management system' used on Marlbrook school?

 

[megilleland]

BBLP came along and took away the waste bin which is regularly used and full, because it is an environmental health hazard. It appears that the bin has had cat waste deposited in it and the operative has refused to empty it. This cat waste as mentioned above is regularly deposited behind garages by persons unknown who carry this waste presumably from their house and drop it on the footpath by the garages. The bin is emptied every week, and now it is removed, will mean that the litter will now be cast over the road and in the garage entrances. Britain is beginning to look like a third world country.

Herefordshire Council has this statement on its contracts register:
"The Public Realm Contract has a minimum term of 120 months (10 years) and a maximum term of 240 months (20 years) if all available extension options are taken. The value of the contract is estimated at between £200,000,000 and £1,000,000,000. The lower estimate is based on £20,000,000 per annum over the first 10 years of the contract period for the core services. On this basis the Contracting Authority’s spend over the maximum term of the contract is broadly but realistically estimated to be £400,000,000. An additional allowance of £100,000,000 has been included for the commissioning of any Non-Core services and any increase in spend for reasons which cannot be accurately predicted at this time. Plus a further allowance of £500,000,000 has been included to cover any usage by Contracting Authorities. "

It shouldn't be difficult to find a few quid to buy some brushes and shovels. A team of pensioners could do a better job in their communities on a retainer.

[Aylestone Voice]

2 hours ago, twowheelsgood said:

That seems like a huge portfolio!

What progress is being made on the election pledge to review the Balfour Beatty Living Places contract? In the light of the Link Road overspend and the ongoing debacle that is the Fownhope repair, the need has never been more urgent. The contract claims to offer 'value for money, facilitated by process improvement and transparency through open book accounting' - what is this 'open book' and who is independently monitoring it? When BBLP are a private business with profit from ratepayers going to shareholders, how is this better value than direct labour? Why is filling the same pothole week after week after week value for money rather than doing it once properly?

When will we get an explanation of what went so drastically wrong with the Blueschool House project? Who has been brought to account for a 100% overspend? Please don't say 'lessons have been learned!".

Why is it that the same local builder seems to be working more or less permanently on Council projects - what is the tendering procedure?

What is the the Council’s 'new project management system' used on Marlbrook school?

 

And another contract for yes you've guessed it S C Joseph

http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/documents/s50087662/To award a contract for the provision of re-fit services at Maylord Shopping Centre.pdf

[twowheelsgood]

To be fair, that does say they were one of three tenders. They're working at the Shire Hall (again!) and I did see them working at the traveller site on Watery Lane the other day. They were at the end of a long line of sub-contracts for Blueschool House, doing the actual work. They did of course do the most recent multi-million pound refurbishment of the Blackfriars St uni. There may be more.