Kings Construction - 45 New Jobs & Up To 1000 Highways Contractor Trainees

The request was refused by Liverpool City Council.

Dear Liverpool City Council,
Delegated Authority Approval Process Form
Lease to Cemex at Brunswick Place
On the 23/01/ 2017 [Under Delegated Powers / PAMS/04/17]

'Further to the Cabinet Report [11th Dec 2015 / No EDR/ 77 / 15] the Director of Regeneration & Employment was granted authority to agree terms and conditions with Kings Construction,[and therefore Tarmacademy and Cemex] in relation to the leasing arrangements for the land the Council was to acquire pursuant to the Cabinet authority and designated to be leased to Cemex for their new training centre and asphalt plant.'

[1] On completion of the lease Cemex UK Operations Ltd was to pay LCC £50,000 rent per annum. What did they actually pay in 2017 / 2018 / 2019?

In terms of the Derby Rd site and depot, Liverpool Highways Training Academy Ltd [previously, Tarmacademy Construction Training Centre] were to be the subtenant of CEMEX.

[2] 'The Council will gain tangible benefits as a consequence of savings on Highway Contracts.' - Please explain what these savings are and how much has been saved so far.?

[3] Liverpool Highways Training Academy Ltd were to create 45 new jobs and up to a 1000 Highways Contractor trainees:
[a] How many jobs were actually created ?
[b] How many Highway Contractor trainees have qualified through the academy up-to-date?

[4] Question 3a & 3b are of particular importance as Liverpool Highways Training Academy Ltd was incorporated in Aug 2015 - and has been a permanently Dormant company since that point.......so how could it have trained any Highway Contractor trainees?

[5] Has Andy Barr's [Assistant Director of Highways & Planning & now temp. Head of Regen.] son ever worked for Kings Construction. ? [IF NOT - NO QUESTION TO ANSWER] If so, did he declare this alleged vested interest [via his son] in the Register of Interests

Yours faithfully,

Josie Mullen

Liverpool City Council

 
Dear Josie Mullen
 
Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Thank you for your request for information that was received on 16
February 2020 concerning Dear Liverpool City Council,
Delegated Authority Approval Process Form
Lease to Cemex at Brunswick Place
On the 23/01/ 2017 [Under Delegated Powers / PAMS/04/17]

'Further to the Cabinet Report [11th Dec 2015 / No EDR/ 77 / 15] the
Director of Regeneration & Employment was granted authority to agree terms
and conditions with Kings Construction,[and therefore Tarmacademy and
Cemex] in relation to the leasing arrangements for the land the Council
was to acquire pursuant to the Cabinet authority and designated to be
leased to Cemex for their new training centre and asphalt plant.'

[1] On completion of the lease Cemex UK Operations Ltd was to pay LCC
£50,000 rent per annum. What did they actually pay in 2017 / 2018 / 2019?

In terms of the Derby Rd site and depot, Liverpool Highways Training
Academy Ltd [previously, Tarmacademy Construction Training Centre] were to
be the subtenant of CEMEX.

[2] 'The Council will gain tangible benefits as a consequence of savings
on Highway Contracts.' - Please explain what these savings are and how
much has been saved so far.?

[3] Liverpool Highways Training Academy Ltd were to create 45 new jobs and
up to a 1000 Highways Contractor trainees:
[a] How many jobs were actually created ?
[b] How many Highway Contractor trainees have qualified through the
academy up-to-date?

[4] Question 3a & 3b are of particular importance as Liverpool Highways
Training Academy Ltd was incorporated in Aug 2015 - and has been a
permanently Dormant company since that point.......so how could it have
trained any Highway Contractor trainees?

[5] Has Andy Barr's [Assistant Director of Highways & Planning & now temp.
Head of Regen.] son ever worked for Kings Construction. ? [IF NOT - NO
QUESTION TO ANSWER] If so, did he declare this alleged vested interest
[via his son] in the Register of Interests

Yours faithfully,

Josie Mullen...
 
We are dealing with your request under the Freedom of Information Act
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Information Team
Liverpool City Council
 
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Dear Liverpool City Council,
Please include in your response the exact address of the Liverpool Highways Training Academy Ltd [

Yours sincerely,

Josie Mullen

Dear Liverpool City Council,
PLEASE RESPOND TO MY FOI - IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ANSWERED WELL BEFORE THE LOCKDOWN

Yours sincerely,

Josie Mullen

Dear Liverpool City Council,
I see that there are people who put FOIs in at the beginning of June that have had a response from you - MINE WAS FROM FEBRUARY !!!!!!!!!!

Yours sincerely,

Josie Mullen

Information Requests, Liverpool City Council

2 Attachments

Dear Ms Mullen

 

Please see attached our response to your recent information request.

 

We thank you for your patience and understanding whilst Liverpool City
Council, in common with other public authorities is currently dealing
with, responding to, and affected by the current public health emergency
arising from Coronavirus which, in accordance with emergency legislation,
has meant that our staff are being diverted to maintain essential services
for the residents of Liverpool during this current public health
emergency.

 

Regards

 

Information Team

 

Information Requests

Liverpool City Council

[1][email address]

[2]Make Room Liverpool copy 3

 

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References

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1. mailto:[email address]

Dear Liverpool City Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Liverpool City Council's handling of my FOI request 'Kings Construction - 45 New Jobs & Up To 1000 Highways Contractor Trainees'.

[ GIVE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR COMPLAINT HERE ]
Question 3 of my FOI
3] Liverpool Highways Training Academy Ltd were to create 45 new jobs and up to a
1000 Highways Contractor trainees:
[a] How many jobs were actually created ?
[b] How many Highway Contractor trainees have qualified through the academy up-
to-date?
LCCs Response
Data relating to the operations of third party companies, including their employment
numbers or training arrangements are not held by the City Council.

Reason For Internal Review
In relation to question 3, the response is totally contrary to the facts which can be found in the council docs and media reports below . It is perfectly clear from the evidence that there was an absolute commitment by the council to work with King Construction [really Knowsley Contractors]to establish a training academy This was one of the main reasons why LCC spent over 4 million buying land for King Construction/CEMEX
EVIDENCE
I note on the 20th January 2017, Planning Officer John Hayes recommends the application should be approved, but fails to notice there is no Training Academy proposed in the plans [WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE TRAINING CENTRE AT THIS POINT?]
[a] In 2018 LCC enter into a Tenancy at Will with King Construction for the other 3 sites. King Construction are not required to pay anything for leasing the 3 sites. []STILL NO TRAINING CENTRE]
[b] 11th January 2018 - Mayor Anderson opens CEMEX plant in Brunswick Place - NO MENTION OF TRAINING CENTRE
[c] 1st Feb 2018 Councillor Ann O’Byrne (Deputy Mayor of Liverpool) addresses 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. “
AND YET THE COUNCIL AND KING CONSTRUCTION ARE NOW SAYING THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT A TRAINING FACILITY
[d] The Cabinet would never have allowed the Council to purchase land for a multinational company alone if there hadn't been an Academy attached to the plan.
[e]The Mayor also claimed that there was no other asphalt facilities in close proximity which was false. There were two plants situated just down the road at Seaforth Dock.
[e] If there is no training centre, and LCC are now saying in my FOI that they know nothing in relation to the training centre, then the Council borrowed the money under a false pretence, which is a criminal offence. The whole deal amounts to fraud and misconduct in Public Office committed under the Mayors ‘invest to earn’ strategy.
COUNCIL DOC /MEDIA EVIDENCE
[1] Cabinet Meeting - 11th Dec. 2015
Executive summary:
The Council has been working collaboratively with Kings Construction to establish a new training centre focused around construction to provide better training and employments opportunities. Tarmacademy (Liverpool) Limited is a newly formed company (by Kings Construction) which has been specifically
established to deliver the training centre.
The Tarmacademy facility will provide training, apprenticeship and employment opportunities for local people, especially those in North Liverpool, in a working environment not currently available in the City. The proposal is to support 1000 trainees from unemployment into jobs and apprenticeships over
a five year period.

Background
Kings have established a stand-alone company, Tarmacademy (Liverpool) Limited to deliver and run the training centre. The Council’s Adult Learning Service has been working alongside Kings and Tarmacademy to establish the facility as a provider of training to the highways infrastructure sector.

Mayoral Recommendation:
(i) authority be granted to Assist Kings Construction (and thereby Tarmacademy and Cemex), to acquire sites in the north Docks area of Liverpool, in order to provide a new training facility and tarmac
production facility;

Mayor’s Priorities
The Cemex plant is estimated to create 20 new jobs. The Tarmacademy will create approximately 25 new jobs for trainers and admin but will offer traineeships and then apprenticeships and training in the civil engineering and highway surfacing sectors. The proposal is to support 1000 trainees from
unemployment into jobs and apprenticeships over a five year period.

Reason(s) for Recommendation:
To facilitate the delivery of a new construction training centre which will create significant employment and training opportunities as detailed in the report.

Alternative options considered:
Not to assist Kings Construction and thereby Tarmacademy and Cemex to negotiate with land owners of suitable land. This would result in the loss of a new construction training facility and asphalt plant and the associated outputs and benefits it would bring to the City.

Equality implications/Equality Impact Assessment:
The deal with Tarmacademy will create 45 new jobs and support 1000 trainees from unemployment into jobs and apprenticeships over a five yearperiod.

Liverpool Echo - 4th Dec. 2015
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “This is a really exciting and innovative opportunity for us to partner with the private sector and come up with a scheme which will get a significant number of people into work.

BBC News - 7th Dec. 2015
Civil engineers King Construction hope to train 1,000 people over the next five years at a centre which would be located near North Liverpool Docks.
Mayor Joe Anderson said he wanted to "make sure" locals were "best placed" to capitalise on the need for labour.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/k...

Yours faithfully,

Josie Mullen

Dear Information Requests,
It is now 36 days since I requested an Internal Review. Please indicate when I will be receiving a response

Yours sincerely,

Josie Mullen

Dear Information Requests,

It is now 126 days since I put in an Internal Review. COVID IS NOT AN EXCUSE....CAN I HAVE A RESPONSE PLEASE !!

Yours sincerely,

Josie Mullen

Information Requests, Liverpool City Council

2 Attachments

Dear Josie Mullen

 

Please see attached our response and internal review in respect of your
recent information request.

 

We thank you for your patience and understanding whilst Liverpool City
Council, in common with other public authorities is currently dealing
with, responding to, and affected by the current public health emergency
arising from Coronavirus which, in accordance with emergency legislation,
has meant that our staff are being diverted to maintain essential services
for the residents of Liverpool during this current public health
emergency.

 

Regards

 

Information Team

 

Information Requests

Liverpool City Council

[1][email address]

[2]Be strong kind safe autosign_Protect each other small

 

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References

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1. mailto:[email address]

Dear Information Requests,
YOU HAVE COMPLETELY IGNORED THE MAIN POINTS OF THE INTERNAL REVIEW........THE COUNCIL COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH KING CONSTRUCTION AND TARMACADEMY TO TRAIN A 1000 YOUNG PEOPLE AND TO SET UP A TRAINING CENTRE.NOW YOU SAY THE COUNCIL KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT IT.......I'M GOING TO RAISE THE MONEY AND TAKE MAYOR ANDERSON TO COURT.....I HAVE MORE EVIDENCE THAN YOU COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE !!!

The Council’s Adult Learning Service has been working alongside Kings and Tarmacademy to establish the facility as a provider of training to the highways infrastructure sector.

Mayoral Recommendation:
(i) authority be granted to Assist Kings Construction (and thereby Tarmacademy and Cemex), to acquire sites in the north Docks area of Liverpool, in order to provide a new training facility and tarmac
production facility;

Equality implications/Equality Impact Assessment:
The deal with Tarmacademy will create 45 new jobs and support 1000 trainees from unemployment into jobs and apprenticeships over a five year period.
Alternative options considered:
Not to assist Kings Construction and thereby Tarmacademy and Cemex to negotiate with land owners of suitable land. This would result in the loss of a new construction training facility and asphalt plant and the associated outputs and benefits it would bring to the City.
Reason(s) for Recommendation:
To facilitate the delivery of a new construction training centre which will create significant employment and training opportunities as detailed in the report.

Yours sincerely,

Josie Mullen