This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Non-existent Academy/Mayor/Unauthorised Authority .'.



Enquiries to:  
Information Team 
Our Ref:  
 
FOI4560354 
 
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx  
 
 
Dear Mr Hanlon 
 
 
 
Freedom of Information Request 4560354 – Internal Review & Response 
Thank you for your recent request. Your request was actioned under the Freedom of 
Information Act 2000 in which you requested the following information – 
 
1. In the reports attached to the Cabinet meeting of 11th December 2015 it states the 
King Construction approach the Council about receiving help to build a training 
academy.  
 
A) Which person from King Construction approached the Council?  
B) Which Officer(s) or Elected member(s) was/were approached?  
 
2. In FOI 3940021 the Council's response to question 8 stated that 'Mayor Anderson 
does not acquire land'.  
 
Therefore if the Mayor is not responsible for land acquisitions then why he is making 
Mayoral recommendations to do so on behalf of King Construction?  
 
3. The Cabinet in December 2015 gave specific delegated authority for Officers to 
acquire land for up to £3.5 million. Explain why they spent over £4.2 million when they 
didn't have the authority to do so?  
 
4. Can the Mayor explain why he did not question where the 'Tarmacademy' was after 
he personally opened the CEMEX / 'Tarmacadeny' site with Steven Gerrard on the 
11th January 2018?  
 
5. On the 1st February 2018 the then Deputy Mayor of Liverpool Ann O'Byrne 
addressed the Regeneration, Housing & Sustainability Select Committee. With the 
following comment;  
 
'…work was ongoing with King Construction to support the establishment of training 
facility in North Liverpool to train up new crews to undertake resurfacing work to a high 
quality and building the skills base to, in turn, secure business from a wider geographic 
area. '  
 
Can Councillor Ann O'Byrne explain why after spending over £4.2million in 2016 on 
sites for the 'Tarmacademy' would the Council still looking for adequate sites some 2 
years later?  
 
6. Why is the tenancy agreement with King Construction for the Derby Road Site not 
dated?  
 
7. What was the point of purchasing the Margarine Works for £1million as an 'Invest to 
Earn' when it has sat unoccupied for 4 years?  
 
8. Why were the sites at Derby Road and Forth Street given to King rent free and who 
authorised this?  

  Liverpool City Council Information Team 
Cunard Building, Water Street, Liverpool, L3 1DS 
E: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
 
 


 
9. Why are King not paying business rates on 10-12 Forth Street when it previously 
generated in excess of £50,000 per year?  
 
10. How many Officers or Elected members have family who worked for Mark Doyle 
the then owner of King during the period 2015 ' 2019?   

   
Response: 
As you may appreciate, Liverpool City Council in common with all other public authorities in 
the UK, Europe and worldwide have, since March, been dealing with and responding to the 
Coronavirus pandemic. The introduction of substantial Government restrictions well before 
the submission of your request have had wide reaching and ongoing impacts being felt 
across society. These impacts specifically affected all Service Areas of the City Council as 
Officer resources and personnel are diverted to supporting the most vulnerable residents of 
this city.  
 
Specifically, from early March, direct impacts were being seen for the City Council in terms 
of staff absence due to symptoms of or self-isolation due to Coronavirus as well as 
significant and substantial increases in demand for those Services which specifically 
support children, the elderly and the most vulnerable residents across Liverpool. 
 
In light of the above factors, Officers from early March were gradually and in increasing 
numbers assigned to different Service Areas to ensure continuity of service, provision and 
support for children, the elderly and the most vulnerable residents across Liverpool as 
indicated above.  
 
This impacted considerably on the ability of colleagues within all departments of the City 
Council to identify, retrieve and collate information, as well as the absence of relevant 
Officers whose knowledge informs the preparation and content of responses whilst 
resources are focussed on the ongoing pandemic, as you may well have noticed. 
 
With the above factors in mind, we greatly appreciate your patience and understanding in 
light of the unprecedented global pandemic, on the basis that the City Council and its 
Officers continue to focus on delivering essential services and support for vulnerable 
residents and communities as well as seeking to administer support for businesses within 
the city in the context of the above exceptional circumstances.  
 
Notwithstanding the above, our responses are as follows – 
 
1.  a)     This data is no longer retained as it is not required for operational or legislative 
purposes.  
b)     This data is no longer retained as it is not required for operational or legislative 
purposes. 
 
2.  Liverpool City Council operates a Mayor and Cabinet model of governance. 
Recommendations are therefore referenced as “Mayoral Recommendations”. 
 
3.  Freedom of Information legislation extends to the provision of information held and does 
not require the City Council or any public authority to provide explanations in the 
manner described. 
 
4.  Freedom of Information legislation extends to the provision of information held and does 
not require the City Council or any public authority to provide explanations in the 
  Liverpool City Council Information Team 
Cunard Building, Water Street, Liverpool, L3 1DS 
E: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
 
 


manner described. 
 
5.  Freedom of Information legislation extends to the provision of information held and does 
not require the City Council or any public authority to provide explanations in the 
manner described. 
 
6.  It is standard custom and practice for Solicitors acting for respective parties to sign and 
date their respective copies and retain directly.  
 
7.  Freedom of Information legislation extends to the provision of information held and does 
not require the City Council or any public authority to provide explanations in the 
manner described. 
 
8.  Following an extensive review of records held by the City Council, at this point we would 
advise that this information has not yet been traced on our records. Based on a review 
of records, a draft Lease was prepared which extended to a potential £100K per annum 
with an initial twelve-month rent-free period, with potential break clauses should any 
lease exceed five years.  We are unable to identify records of any subsequent 
discussions which may or may not have taken place and which resulted in the 
subsequent grant of a Tenancy at Will. Notwithstanding that this represents the extent of 
information identified as a result of extensive searches, we will endeavour to undertake 
further searches of records and in the event that additional information of relevance is 
identified then this will be provided.  
 
9.  The property at this address is now recorded by the Valuations Office as having Nil 
Rateable Value (NRV). In relation to its status as NRV, the Valuations Office records for 
the address show that for the period 01/04/2010 to 31/03/2017 the property was 
assessed as having a Nil Rateable Value (NRV). Whilst there was an alteration dated 
24/06/2014 which assessed the RV as £54,500, based on records on the Valuations 
Office website this was appealed due to the property being in a state of disrepair. The 
property at this address remains classified by the Valuation office as having NRV and as 
such no Business Rates are payable.  
 
10.  Liverpool City Council would advise that we hold information relevant to the terms of 
your request – clearly in terms of recording the interests of Officers. With regard to this 
element of your request, the City Council has approximately 4,700 employees. With 
records across a 5-year period (2015-2019) requiring to be examined, this would result 
in a total of up to 23,500 Register Entries for individual Officers having to be examined.   
 
In assessing the time taken to respond to your request, we have examined a 
representative sample of 75 files have been reviewed. This has shown that the 
minimum time taken to identify and retrieve the information you have asked for from 
each record would be 1 minutes. 
 
In light of the above, we have then calculated how long it would take to examine all 
relevant records. Based on the total number of case files for the specified period 
(23,500) and allowing 1 minutes per record to identify the specific information required, 
we estimate the time taken to comply with this request as follows – 
 
23,500 @ 1 mins per record = 391.6hrs for the period requested. 
 
Under the provisions of Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, a public 
Authority such as Liverpool City Council may decline to provide information in such 
circumstances where to locate and retrieve the requested information would require in 
  Liverpool City Council Information Team 
Cunard Building, Water Street, Liverpool, L3 1DS 
E: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx 
 
 


excess of 18 hours of Officer time (excluding redaction and printing costs).  
 
In this instance as it is estimated that in excess of 391 hours would be required to 
comply with the terms of your request, the City Council considers the application of a 
Section 12 Exemption to be appropriate and therefore declines to provide the requested 
information.  
 
This concludes our response. As we have not provided you with the requested information, 
we are required to issue a Section 17 Notice for which this letter serves.   
 
If you remain dissatisfied, you may also apply to the Information Commissioner for a 
decision about whether the request for information has been dealt with in accordance with 
the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  
 
The Information Commissioner’s website is  www.ico.gov.uk and the postal address and 
telephone numbers are:- Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, 
Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.  Telephone 0303 123 1113.  Email – xxxx@xxx.xxx.xxx.xx 
(they advise that their email is not secure) 
 
I trust this information satisfies your enquiry.  
 
Yours sincerely 
A Lewis 
Information Team 
 
  Liverpool City Council Information Team 
Cunard Building, Water Street, Liverpool, L3 1DS 
E: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx