Grant Funding of Humbug Shop, 42 High Street 16 Marine Drive, Margate

The authority would like to / has responded by postal mail to this request.

Dear Thanet District Council,

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 I am seeking the
following pieces of information in relation to the ERDF Objective 2 grant funding issued to:

Melltree Properties Limited, Company Registration Number 05972107.

For the creation of artist studios at 42 High Street and 16 Marine Drive, Margate.

Please provide the following:

1. Evidence that the original scheme from applicants Melltree Properties did not proceed due to the withdrawal of project finance in early 2008.

2. Evidence of match funding that was provided to GOSE.

3. Evidence of grant monies expenditure as provided to GOSE.

4. Details of the GOSE audit as part of the end of scheme arrangements.

5. When was the Council aware a shareholder of Melltree Properties Ltd was a serving Thanet District Councillor at the time of the grant application and issuing of grant monies?

6. Did the Councillor declare an interest at the time of the grant application and the issuing of the grant monies?

7. What actions have the council undertaken to try to secure the repayment of the grant monies?

8. Was a charge put on the building or any other property owned by the directors and shareholders of Melltree Properties.

9. All communication from the Council to the applicant.

10. Have any other public funds been paid to companies owned by the directors and shareholders of Melltree Properties?

Yours faithfully,

Louise Oldfield

Amanda Buckingham, Thanet District Council

Ref No:62332 / 2633728
Subject:EDRF Grant Funding
 
Dear Ms Oldfield
 
Thank you for your communication of 12/03/2014 requesting information
about EDRF grant funding for 42 High Street and 16 Marine Drive, Margate.
 
Your request is being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 and will be answered within twenty working days. 
 
If you have any queries about this request do not hesitate to contact me.
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
 
 
 
 
Amanda Buckingham
Information Request Assessor
 

show quoted sections

Dear Amanda Buckingham,

I'm writing to request an internal review of my FOI Request:
EDRF grant funding for 42 High Street and 16 Marine Drive, Margate.
Ref: 62332 / 2633728

The information was due by April 10th and has not been sent, nor an explanation for the delay.

Yours sincerely,

Louise Oldfield

Amanda Buckingham, Thanet District Council

Thank you for your email. 

I will not be back in the office until  Monday 14th April 2014.

 

I will try to get back to you within 24 hours of returning to work. 

If you are sending an FOI enquiry, please re-send to [email address]

 

Kind Regards,

Amanda Buckingham

Customer Contact Officer

 

Amanda Buckingham, Thanet District Council

 
 
Ref No: 62332 / 2633728
Subject:Edrf Grant Funding
 
Dear Ms Oldfield
 
Thank you for your e-mail dated 12th March 2014 requesting information
under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in relation to Melltree
Properties Limited and please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in
responding.
 
You specifically requested information in relation to the creation of
artists studios at 42 High Street and 16 Marine Drive, Margate.
 
I confirm that the Council holds some of the information requested and
will supply some information but seeks to restrict some of the information
on the basis that it is exempt in accordance with section 31 of the Act.
This section provides a qualified exemption. In this regard I would
confirm that as the matters withheld are under review with a view to
possible legal proceedings the public interest test is exercised in favour
of not disclosing the information and it is therefore withheld.
 
I believe the company you are asking about is actually called Meltree not
Melltree and I have included information on that basis.
 
For ease of reference I will use the numbering you used in your request to
reply.
 
1.      Evidence that the original scheme from applicants Melltree
Properties did not proceed due to the withdrawal of project finance in
early 2008.
 
This evidence is withheld under section 31
 
2.      Evidence of match funding that was provided to GOSE.
 
Grant payment to Meltree                £68,750.00       25% Grant Rate
Match funding required          £206,250.00      75% Private Match Funding
               
Match funding provided to GOSE  £372,000.00      80% of purchase price as
this related to the eligible retail element. This apportionment was
confirmed by a valuer and the amount was taken from the TR1 documentation.
 
3.      Evidence of grant monies expenditure as provided to GOSE.
 
No evidence of grant monies expenditure was provided as the scheme never
progressed.
 
4.      Details of the GOSE audit as part of the end of scheme
arrangements.
 
This evidence is withheld under section 31. 
 
5.      When was the Council aware a shareholder of Melltree Properties
Ltd was a serving Thanet District Councillor at the time of the grant
application and issuing of grant monies?
 
This evidence is withheld under section 31.
 
6.      Did the Councillor declare an interest at the time of the grant
application and the issuing of the grant monies?
 
Thanet District Council only holds this information in relation to current
councillors.
 
7.      What actions have the council undertaken to try to secure the
repayment of the grant monies?
 
This evidence is withheld under section 31.
 
 
8.      Was a charge put on the building or any other property owned by
the directors and shareholders of Melltree Properties.
 
This evidence is withheld under section 31.
 
9.      All communication from the Council to the applicant.
 
This evidence is withheld under section 31.
 
10.     Have any other public funds been paid to companies owned by the
directors and shareholders of Melltree Properties?
 
Thanet District Council does not hold this information.
 
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the
right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should be
submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to your
original letter and should be addressed to: Information Request Assessor,
Thanet District Council, P O Box 9 Cecil Street, Margate Kent CT9 1XZ, or
send an email to [email address].
 
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future
communications.
 
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF
 
Yours sincerely,
 
 
 
Steven Boyle
Interim Legal Services Manager
 

show quoted sections

Louise Oldfield

Dear Amanda Buckingham,

Thank you for your reply.

I have referred the matter of your application of an exemption under S31to the Information Commissioner for guidance. S31 exemptions were also previously applied in 2011.

The Council has stated via a Cabinet decision on November 14th 2013 stating it no longer intends to pursue litigation against that grant recipients Meltree Properties and the two company directors, Richard Freeman and Wade Barker.

http://democracy.thanet.gov.uk/ieIssueDe...

However, further to our telephone call today, I would also like to clarify other sections of my request:

"2.      Evidence of match funding that was provided to GOSE.
Please supply the original documentary evidence of this. To include the date the evidence of match funding was supplied to GOSE and by which firm of surveyors. I.e the original valuation report."

"10.     Have any other public funds been paid to companies owned by the directors and shareholders of Melltree Properties?
 
Thanet District Council does not hold this information."

Please supply details of any public funds issued to Meltree Properties directors and shareholders at the time:
Richard Freeman
Wade Barker
Judith Russell

Yours sincerely,

Louise Oldfield

Amanda Buckingham, Thanet District Council

 
19 June 2014
 
Ref No:62332/2633728
Subject:Edrf Grant Funding
 
Dear Ms Oldfield
 
I confirm receipt of your request for futher information by email on 6th
May 2014.  Please accept my apologies for the lateness of this
acknowledgement but may I just confirm that Steven Boyle, Interim Legal
Services Manager and Monitoring Officer has been in contact with the
Police regarding the questions that you have raised.
 
I have now forwarded this case to him so that he can prepare a further
response as soon as possible, even though you have already made a
complaint to the ICO.  I will ensure that Steven copies any further
response to you to the ICO also, so that they are kept informed of the
current status of your request.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
Amanda Buckingham
Customer Contact Officer
 
 
 

show quoted sections

Louise Oldfield

Dear Amanda Buckingham,

I think it is inappropriate for you to refer to my having made a complaint to the ICO. This is a confidential matter between all parties. It amy or may not be upheld.

Yours sincerely,

Louise Oldfield

Louise Oldfield

Dear Amanda Buckingham,

Please ignore my last email re the ref to the ICO. I see I made reference to it myself in the email of May 6th.

Yours sincerely,

Louise Oldfield

Steven Boyle, Thanet District Council

 
 
 
Dear Ms Oldfield
 
Ref No: 62332 / 2633728
Subject:EDRF Grant Funding
 
I am writing to confirm that a response to your request has been sent out
today in hard copy format as there are a number of attachments.
 
Yours sincerely
 
Steven Boyle
Interim Legal Services Manager & Monitoring Officer
Thanet District Council
 

show quoted sections

Dear Steven Boyle,

Thank you for your email.

I wish you had contacted me before mailing out hardcopies. I had requested digital formats. And rather than reply on the postal system, I could have come to the council to collect in person. But my first preference was digital format.

Yours sincerely,

Louise Oldfield