Dear Mr Chamberlain,

Request for information RFI/02297

Thank you for your email dated 26^th July 2010 in which you asked:

Could you please tell me:
    
1) How much, per month, has Hyder Consulting been paid by Greenwich Council to work on the Greenwich town centre pedestrianisation proposals since January 2008?
    

2) What selection process did Hyder have to to undergo before being chosen to work alongside Greenwich Council on this scheme? When did Hyder start work on the project?
    
3) What is Hyder's remit in terms of dealing with the Greenwich town centre pedestrianisation scheme?
    

With regard to question 1 of your request I can confirm that the Department does hold the breakdown of fees paid to Hyder since January 2008. This information is however exempt under section 41 - Information provided in confidence.

“Information is exempt information if:-

The breakdown costs for fees between the Council and Contractor, Hyder is confidential and are being withheld under section 41 “information being provided in confidence.”

This information was provided to the Department by the Contractor in confidence and disclosure of this information would constitute a breach actionable by that of the contractor.

Hyder Consulting (UK) Ltd was appointed as the Council's term consultant for highway and traffic matters in May 2009. The selection process followed the European Union process. Approx 23 firms applied to be considered for inclusion on the tender list, and ultimately 6 firms were invited to tender. At the end of this process Hyder was selected.

Hyder commenced work on the Greenwich Town Centre Pedestrianisation scheme in May 2009.

Hyder's remit with regard to the Greenwich Town Centre Pedestrianisation scheme is to provide the Council with highway and traffic engineering advice, to assist the Council in developing the pedestrianisation scheme and the associated traffic management arrangements.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint or request a review of my decision, you should write to the Chief Executive, London Borough of Greenwich, Town Hall, Wellington Street, Woolwich SE18 6PW.

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the Council. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely,

Jan Goldsmith

Assistant Policy Officer

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