Abbey Bridge, Evesham

Worcestershire County Council did not have the information requested.

Dear Worcestershire County Council,

On Thursday 12 December, the Evesham Journal published a series of questions that they had put to WCC regarding the delays to the reconstruction of Abbey Bridge, Evesham. Four of those questions were answered with the statement, "This is a matter for Hochtief" (the contractor).

The four questions posed by the Journal which received this response were:

1. "Why has the project fallen so far behind schedule?"

2. "Bearing in mind that we have had one of the warmest and driest autumns for years, how can the weather be blamed for delays?"

3. "Shouldn't river levels and wind have been expected and factored in to the projct timescale?"

4. "Have there been mistakes/accidents/dmage caused which have led to the delay?"

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request some further information related to these questions and the delay to the work.

1. For each of the four questions listed above, please tell me:

a) Has WCC asked the contractor to answer this question?

b) If yes, what answer did the contractor give?

c) If no, why not?

2. Irrespective of the answers to the above, what information has been circulated internally to staff and councillors regarding the delays?

3. Hochtief, in their own press release, have blamed WCC for some of the delays. What, specifically, do they consider to be your responsibility?

4. Has any guidance or other instruction been issued to WCC staff and/or councillors as to how to respond to enquiries from the public and/or media regarding the bridge? If so, please can you let me know what that guidance consists of.

Yours faithfully,

Mark Goodge

BECFOI (BEC), Worcestershire County Council

Dear Mr Goodge

 

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION REGULATIONS 2004- INFORMATION REQUEST CONCERNING
ABBEY BRIDGE, EVESHAM

 

Thank you for contacting Worcestershire County Council.

 

I acknowledge your request for information received on 12 December 2013.

 

Your request is being considered and we will contact you within the 20
working day timescale as defined by the Environmental Information
Regulations 2004.

 

The Regulations define a number of exemptions, which may prevent release
of the information you have asked for. If this is the case we will write
to you and also inform you of your rights of appeal.

 

In some circumstances Worcestershire County Council (WCC) may make a
charge for this information. This will be considered and we will tell you
if a fee is payable. In this event the fee must be paid before the
information is processed and released. The 20 working day time limit for
responses will be suspended until receipt of the payment and payment must
be made within three months.

 

In some circumstances WCC may need to consult with third parties (people
not employed by WCC) about the release of information relating to them or
their organisation. Please let me know if you do not wish your name to be
released to any third parties we may need to contact in order to fulfil
this request.

 

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact me.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Linda Hirschhorn

Text Processor/Clerical Assistant

Business Administration and Systems

Business, Environment and Community

County Hall, Spetchley Road, Worcester WR5 2NP

Tel: 01905 768216

Email: [1][email address]

[2]www.worcestershire.gov.uk

 

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BECFOI (BEC), Worcestershire County Council

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Goodge

 

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION REGULATIONS 2004- INFORMATION REQUEST CONCERNING
ABBEY BRIDGE, EVESHAM

 

Thank you for contacting Worcestershire County Council.

 

Your request for information has now been considered and our response is
below.

 

1. "Why has the project fallen so far behind schedule?"

 

2. "Bearing in mind that we have had one of the warmest and driest autumns
for years, how can the weather be blamed for delays?"

 

3. "Shouldn't river levels and wind have been expected and factored in to
the projct timescale?"

 

4. "Have there been mistakes/accidents/dmage caused which have led to the
delay?"

 

Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request some further
information related to these questions and the delay to the work.

 

1. For each of the four questions listed above, please tell me:

 

a) Has WCC asked the contractor to answer this question?

 

b) If yes, what answer did the contractor give?

 

c) If no, why not?

 

We have not asked the Contractor the specific questions you ask and have
no recorded information to release on the subject.  However we can provide
the following information outside of Environmental Information
Regulations.  WCC are in constant discussions with the Contractor on the
reasons for delays in the project programme. The reasons are numerous from
weather, complexity of design and installation issues. Question 1c is not
a request for recorded information and therefore does not fall under
Environmental Information Regulations.

 

2. Irrespective of the answers to the above, what information has been
circulated internally to staff and councillors regarding the delays?

 

No recorded information has been circulated internally to staff or
councillors.

 

3. Hochtief, in their own press release, have blamed WCC for some of the
delays. What, specifically, do they consider to be your responsibility?

 

Hochtief have not sent any information to WCC confirming that they believe
WCC are responsible in any way for the closure delays.

 

4. Has any guidance or other instruction been issued to WCC staff and/or
councillors as to how to respond to enquiries from the public and/or media
regarding the bridge? If so, please can you let me know what that guidance
consists of.

 

There is no recorded information regarding guidance issued to staff or
councillors on how to respond to public/media queries regarding the
bridge.

 

I draw your attention to the copyright statement and the Reuse of Public
Sector Information section attached.

 

If you have any queries or concerns then please contact me.

 

If you have a complaint about the handling of this enquiry then in the
first instance please contact:

 

Consumer Relations Department

Worcestershire County Council

County Hall

Spetchley Road

Worcester

WR5 2NP

 

Tel:  01905 766364

 

You can then also contact the Information Commissioner at:

 

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF 

Tel: 01625 54 57 45

[1]www.ico.gov.uk

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

 

Peter Jago

Principal Project Manager
Directorate: Business Environment and Community
County Hall, Spetchley Road, Worcester, WR5 2NP

Email: [2][email address]

 

 

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References

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1. http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/
2. mailto:[email address]