Cane Hill Hospital - Consultation costs and investigation into the fire

Dear Croydon Borough Council,

Under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act please provide
the total cost, and the annual costs, of all consultation exercises
undertaken by Croydon Council since 1991 on options and proposals
to redevelop the Cane Hill Hospital, Coulsdon, site.

Additionally, please provide copies of all documents and
correspondence held by the Council relating to any police
investigations and conclusions on the fire at Cane Hill on 13
November 2010.

Yours faithfully,

[name removed]

Dear Christine Tanriverdi,

Thank you for your reply to my request. I appreciate that you have
tried to answer my questions and have done so in good time.

However, I am absolutely astonished to hear that the Council is of
the view that there were no consultation exercises prior to 2010.

In the summer of 2008 or 2009 - I can check this as I will still
have the printed colour documents - I visited officials in Coulsdon
town centre where four redevelopment options were being presented
to the general public. There were forms to fill in and I completed
one. If this was not a consultation exercise, what was it?
Officials had the details up on the website, plans on the walls and
this was in a building appointed temporarily specifically for the
purpose.

I also recall a similar exercise occurring probably earlier but it
could have been later.

It would be helpful if you could clarify this point. I will in turn
dig out the relevant document.

On the fire, I note what you have to say and may have further
comment although my feeling initially is that I may need to contact
other parties as you suggest.

Yours sincerely,

[name removed]

Dear Christine Tanriverdi, Croydon Borough Council

Further to my letter of 10 August, I am now able to confirm that I
attended a drop-in exhibition about the proposed redevlopment of
the Cane Hill site at 37 Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon, on
Saturday 10 May 2008.

I have a copy of the leaflet given to me on that day entitled "News
- Cane Hill Hospital Site Regeneration Project - Tell Us What You
Think (April 2008 Issue 3) ". It included four development options.

First, it confirms that consultation commenced with the local
community in December 2007. It lists the key responses on mix of
uses, location of development, link to the town centre and
important considerations for development.

Secondly, it asks in a further stage of the process for
questionnaires to be completed by 19 May 2008 on the principles for
redevelopment with specific reference to the options presented.

While English Partnerships and a "consultant team" produced the
above mentioned leaflet and provided staff
on the day, the leaflet refers twice to the fact that English
Partnerships and the London Borough of Croydon were "working
together" on this exercise (i) "to consider whether an alternative
development might provide a better solution" and (ii) "to keep the
community informed about works on the site and the progress that is
taking place".

The contact details for eight individuals were included in the
leaflet. 1 was a representative of Broadway Malyan consultants. 1
was the then Principal Planning Officer of Croydon Council. 6 were
Croydon Council councillors. 0 - Zero - were from English
Partnerships.

In fact, the arrangement does not look wholly unlike the recent and
current exercises, albeit at an earlier stage, in that the Council,
the HCA and a range of private companies are working together.

It is also noted that a highly relevant section of the site, now
described as C9, has never been in the ownership of English
Partnerships or HCA but rather owned by Croydon Council.

Would you please confirm therefore in line with my original request
how much money Croydon Council spent on consultation in regard to
the site prior to 2010.

Many thanks.

Yours faithfully,

[name removed]