Joiners Square Roundabout

The request was successful.

Dear Stoke on Trent City Council,

What was the full decision process to spend £24k on an "art project" for the new roundabout?

What affordability studies were conducted for this?

What other uses were considered for this money?
- For each, what was the reason that it was given a lower priority than this "art project"?

What consultation was undertaken with regards to this?

How does it provide value for money to the city over planting some trees at a far lower cost?

How will you ensure that it doesn't get vandalised?

Yours faithfully,

Mr. Lees

Stoke on Trent City Council

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Dear Mr Lees

 

Your request for information ref: SOT-103154

 

Thank you for your request for information about the spend on art work at
Joiners Square roundabout.  Your request was received by the Information
Rights Team on 24 May 2021.  This is being dealt with under the terms of
the appropriate Information Rights legislation.

 

In some circumstances we may charge for information.  If there is a charge
we will let you know, as you will be required to pay this before we deal
with your request.

 

Some information does not have to be released under this legislation.  We
will check the information you have asked for and send you as much as
possible.  If another person or organisation is named in the information,
we may have to ask their opinion before we decide what we can give you.

 

You should expect to receive a response to your request on or before 22
June 2021 in line with the legislation's 20 working day statutory
deadline.

 

For your information we may publish the response to your request on our
City Council's website, which can be found at the following address:
[1]www.stoke.gov.uk.

 

If you have any queries about this email please do not hesitate to contact
us.

 

You can find details of how we handle your personal information by
visiting [2]www.stoke.gov.uk/dataprotection

 

Yours sincerely

 

Information Rights Team

 

Information Rights

Floor 2 Civic Centre Glebe Street

Stoke-on-Trent ST4 1HH

City of Stoke-on-Trent 

t 01782 232853, 01782 233020, 01782 233732, 01782 235965

e [3][Stoke on Trent City Council request email]

Winner – UK Housing Awards Council of the Year 2019

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is a Fostering Friendly employer. Being a
foster carer is truly life changing. If you have a spare room and spare
time, even as little as one weekend a month, you can make a real
difference to a child’s life. Fostering for Stoke-on-Trent City Council
offers a rewarding career with comprehensive training and guidance. Click
here for more information. For more information about becoming a Fostering
Friendly employer please click here.

link for the first Click here  -
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link for the second click here -
[5]https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/g...

Manage your council tax online and sign up for paperless billing with our
new online account at [6]www.stoke.gov.uk/onlineaccount - and access it
using the MyStoke app, putting fly-tipping, and litter reporting in your
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[8]Google Play

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References

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2. http://www.stoke.gov.uk/dataprotection
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5. https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/g...
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Dear Stoke on Trent City Council,

I note a lack of response to this query, by law this should have been responed to promptly and by 22 June 2021. Can this delay please be explained and an internal review conducted as to why the delay has occured?

Yours faithfully,

Mr. Lees

FOI, Stoke on Trent City Council

Dear Mr Lees

Thank you for your email and please accept our apologies for the delay in completing your request. We are waiting for some final information to be provided to us by the service and we are in touch with them about this on a regular basis. As soon as the information is made available to us we will send the response to you.

An internal review can only be carried out once the response has been sent to you. However, if you wish to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office about the delay, their contact details are as follows:-

The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, tel: 0303 123 1113 or you can visit their website at https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

Yours sincerely

Information Rights Team

Information Rights Team
City of Stoke-on-Trent
Strategy and Resources Directorate - Governance and Registrations
Civic Centre   Glebe Street   Stoke-on-Trent   ST4 1HH
Phone: 01782 232853, 233020, 233732, 235965
Email: [Stoke on Trent City Council request email]

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FOI, Stoke on Trent City Council

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Dear Mr Lees

 

Your request for information ref. SOT-103154

 

We have now considered your request and a copy of the information is
enclosed below.

 

The information supplied may be used for domestic or journalistic
purposes.  Its use for commercial gain including issuing to the public,
social media or computer blogs may be subject to the issue of a licence
under the Reuse of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015.

 

What was the full decision process to spend £24k on an "art project" for
the new roundabout?

 

Response: A decision was made by Stoke-on-Trent City Council at a Cabinet
Meeting on 22 September 2020 to progress the design and delivery of the
Joiners Square junction improvement scheme.  The approval was for the
design of the whole roundabout scheme and not each individual aspect of
the roundabout. Therefore the landscaping work to the centre of the
roundabout was one part of the design process, with different options
being considered. The specific design of the proposed roundabout
landscaping proposal was subsequently approved by the Cabinet Member for
Transport, Infrastructure and Heritage.

 

What affordability studies were conducted for this?

 

Response: The estimated cost of the approved landscape works was
identified and these costs were incorporated into the overall scheme
project costs and was affordable within the allocated budget for this
project.

 

What other uses were considered for this money? - For each, what was the
reason that it was given a lower priority than this "art project"?

 

Response: The Joiners Square junction improvement scheme had an overall
funding budget provided by the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local
Enterprise Partnership.  This funding was available to deliver a
roundabout improvement scheme.  The funding made available allowed the
City Council to design and deliver a scheme, which included landscaping
works within this overall budget, with no specific allocation stipulated
just for landscaping works.  Therefore no other alternative uses were
considered for this money as this money had to be spent on the junction
improvement scheme.

 

What consultation was undertaken with regards to this?

 

Response: A consultation for the Joiners Square Improvement scheme was
undertaken in January 2017 for 6 weeks, as part of a larger masterplan for
the University Quarter. Reference in that consultation was made to an art
installation being installed in the roundabout, but at that time the
design had not been completed.

 

How does it provide value for money to the city over planting some trees
at a far lower cost?

 

Response: The option to consider planting trees was considered, and trees
are still to be included in the proposed roundabout landscape design. The
reasons for deciding on this particular design was that Joiners Square is
a key Gateway into the City Centre, from both the A500 and the A50 Trunk
Roads and which many visitors to the City will use this junction.  The
chosen design also represents a unique feature which can be used as a key
landmark for those coming into the City for the first time and endeavours
to promote the City and leave a positive and lasting impression.  It is
accepted that not everyone will like this design, and this is very much a
matter of personal choice in this matter.

The internal landscape architect that designed the scheme and the Spires
based it on the 'Seger Cones' manufactured on the former Harrison & Sons
 manufacturing site adjacent to the roundabout.  These are small ceramic
cones used to gauge the temperature of the bottle kilns they
used.  Various options for the choice of material were considered but we
went for Corten Steel due to its Natural warm colour that develops with
age and is durable and virtually maintenance free.

  

How will you ensure that it doesn't get vandalised?  

 

Response: Please see above

 

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 our decision,
you should write to: The Information Rights Manager, Information Rights
Team, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Floor 2, Civic Centre, Glebe Street,
ST4 1HH, or email [1][Stoke on Trent City Council request email].

 

If, after contacting us, you are not content with the outcome, you may ask
the Information Commissioner for a decision.  Before doing this, please
see the following link for guidance from the Information Commissioner
relating to how to use your information rights responsibly and
effectively, to enable you to gain the best outcome from the process -
[2]http://ico.org.uk/for_the_public.

 

Generally, the Information Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you
have already used our internal review procedure. The Information
Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office,
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, tel: 0303 123
1113 or you can visit their website at
[3]https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

 

You can find details of how we handle your personal information by
visiting [4]www.stoke.gov.uk/dataprotection

Yours sincerely

 

Information Rights Team

 

Information Rights

City of Stoke-on-Trent

Floor 2  Civic Centre  Glebe Street  Stoke-on-Trent  ST4 1HH

T: 01782 232853, 01782 233020, 01782 233732, 01782 235965

E: [5][Stoke on Trent City Council request email]

 

 

Request

 

Joiners Square roundabout

 

Dear Stoke on Trent City Council,What was the full decision process to
spend £24k on an "art project" for the new roundabout?What affordability
studies were conducted for this?What other uses were considered for this
money?- For each, what was the reason that it was given a lower priority
than this "art project"?What consultation was undertaken with regards to
this?How does it provide value for money to the city over planting some
trees at a far lower cost?How will you ensure that it doesn't get
vandalised?Yours faithfully,Mr. Lees

Winner – UK Housing Awards Council of the Year 2019

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is a Fostering Friendly employer. Being a
foster carer is truly life changing. If you have a spare room and spare
time, even as little as one weekend a month, you can make a real
difference to a child’s life. Fostering for Stoke-on-Trent City Council
offers a rewarding career with comprehensive training and guidance. Click
here for more information. For more information about becoming a Fostering
Friendly employer please click here.

link for the first Click here  -
[6]https://www.stoke.gov.uk/info/20044/fost...

link for the second click here -
[7]https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/g...

Manage your council tax online and sign up for paperless billing with our
new online account at [8]www.stoke.gov.uk/onlineaccount - and access it
using the MyStoke app, putting fly-tipping, and litter reporting in your
hands at the touch of a button. Available in the [9]App Store and on
[10]Google Play

show quoted sections

 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Stoke on Trent City Council request email]
2. https://ico.org.uk/for_the_public
3. https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
4. http://www.stoke.gov.uk/dataprotection
5. mailto:[Stoke on Trent City Council request email]
6. https://www.stoke.gov.uk/info/20044/fost...
7. https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/g...
8. http://www.stoke.gov.uk/onlineaccount
9. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-stoke...
10. https://play.google.com/store/apps/detai...