Mitcham Carnival 2021

The request was successful.

Dear Merton Borough Council,

Mitcham Carnival usually takes place during June.

This year's carnival has not happened.

I can not recall any public notification of postponement or cancellation from Merton Council.

Please can you:

a) share the public notifications that were made informing people of the postponement or cancellation of this year's event - including on any social platforms as well as at the council's web site and through other channels. Please also list all channels that have been used to make this information public.

b) explain why this page is still live at your web site on the date this request was made (25 June 2021). https://www.merton.gov.uk/communities-an...

c) provide all internal communication on the subject of Mitcham Carnival 2021 including but not limited to
i) communication with councillors
ii) communication with outsourcing contractors such as idverde

d) provide a list of the officers with responsibility for Mitcham Carnival, and indicate what their responsibility is.

Yours faithfully,

Sandra Vogel

foi, Merton Borough Council

Thank you for your email message. We aim to respond to all requests under
the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information
Regulations 2004 within 20 working days. More information about the way we
deal with information requests is on our web site at
[1]www.merton.gov.uk/foi
 
Information Governance Team
London Borough of Merton.
020 8545 4634
 
 
 

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1. http://www.merton.gov.uk/foi

Dear Merton Borough Council,

I have today (18 August 2021) lodged a formal complaint about the handling of this Freedom of Information request due to the delay in providing a response.

This can be resolved by providing a response in a timely manner.

Yours faithfully,

Sandra Vogel

foi, Merton Borough Council

Thank you for your email message. We aim to respond to all requests under
the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information
Regulations 2004 within 20 working days. More information about the way we
deal with information requests is on our web site at
[1]www.merton.gov.uk/foi
 
Information Governance Team
London Borough of Merton.
020 8545 4634
 
 
 

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1. http://www.merton.gov.uk/foi

Francis McParland, Merton Borough Council

1 Attachment

Morning Sandra

 

Please see the reply to your Foi which is attached

 

I’m really sorry it’s overdue

 

Regards

 

Francis  

 

 

Interim Head of Leisure and Culture

[1][email address]

[mobile number]  384 029

 

 

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Dear Francis McParland,

Thank you for your partial response to my request. This to ask for the remainder of the request to be responded to.

My request part c) requested all internal communication on the subject of Mitcham Carnival 2021 including but not limited to i) communication with councillors, ii) communication with outsourcing contractors such as idverde

Your reply indicated that there was communication with a cabinet member. You say this communication was confidential. I request that you now share that communication. I believe it is a matter of public interest that Mitcham Carnival was discussed.

My request part d) requested that you provide a list of the officers with responsibility for Mitcham Carnival, and indicate what their responsibility is.

Your reply only named one officer (yourself), but mentioned that officers in Leisure and ideverde would normally be involved.

For the absence of doubt, part d) does not relate to this year’s Carnival, which had not taken place at the time of making my request and which I now know will not take place in 2021, but to previous Mitcham Carnivals. The point of part d) is to understand how responsibility is shared by officers and its contracted provider ideverde.

So, to clarify that question, I now reword it thus:
d) please provide a list of the officers with responsibility for the last Mitcham Carnival that took place, and indicate what their responsibility is.

I hope that clarification is helpful and look forward to receiving a completed response.

Yours sincerely,

Sandra Vogel

WSG Members, Merton Borough Council

Dear Sandra Vogel,

 

Freedom of Information Act 2000 / Environmental Information Regulations
2004 Information request

 

We have now considered your information request as set out below. 

 

You asked:

 

My request part c) requested all internal communication on the subject of
Mitcham Carnival 2021 including but not limited to i) communication with
councillors, ii) communication with outsourcing contractors such as
idverde

 

Your reply indicated that there was communication with a cabinet member.
You say this communication was confidential.  I request that you now share
that communication. I believe it is a matter of public interest that
Mitcham Carnival was discussed.

 

Response:

The following is the extract from the briefing regarding the Carnival from
July 2021

“FM is looking at options for a Carnival of some sort for September,
however all of the open spaces are fully utilised for football except for
Figges Marsh.  This however will be used for the Mitcham Status Fair in
August.  An additional event at this site may be too much for the local
people and the ground.

Recommendation – bring together a new Carnival working group for 2022”

 

My request part d) requested that you provide a list of the officers with
responsibility for Mitcham Carnival, and indicate what their
responsibility is.

 

Your reply only named one officer (yourself), but mentioned that officers
in Leisure and ideverde would normally be involved.

 

For the absence of doubt, part d) does not relate to this year’s Carnival,
which had not taken place at the time of making my request and which I now
know will not take place in 2021, but to previous Mitcham Carnivals. The
point of part d) is to understand how responsibility is shared by officers
and its contracted provider ideverde.

 

So, to clarify that question, I now reword it thus:

d) please provide a list of the officers with responsibility for the last
Mitcham Carnival that took place, and indicate what their responsibility
is.

 

Response:

Doug Napier (retired) – oversaw the event

Francis McParland – looked at safety of the event

Denise Alleyne - worked at the event assisting Doug Napier

Idverde staff – cut the grass, marked out the space, picked litter and any
other jobs which were required on the day.  I do not have names of these
staff members

 

 

If you have any queries or concerns about this please contact me.

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request or wish to
appeal against the decision to exempt any part of your request, you should
request an Internal Review at [1][Merton Borough Council request email] or write in to Freedom
of Information team, Merton Council, Civic Centre, Morden, SM4 5DX.

 

If you escalate to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) without
following the council’s internal review process, the ICO will refer you
back to the council to enable the correct process to be followed.

 

You can also appeal to the Information Commissioner at:
[2]https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/offi...

 

There is no charge for making an appeal.

 

Yours sincerely

 

John Bosley

Assistant Director Public Space

 

 

 

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