New Council Offices 2 and 4 Alice Ker Square
Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,
Please confirm;
The projected cost of the category A works at the point of original approval.
The overspend or underspend at the end of the category A works compared to the original projected costs (adjusted for inflation).
The senior officer (C suite) responsible for this overspend or underspend.
The projected cost of the category B works at the point of original approval.
The overspend or underspend at the end of the category B works compared to the original projected costs (adjusted for inflation).
The senior officer (C suite) responsible for this overspend or underspend.
The total cost of any additional works needed (omissions, faults and errors) not specified in the orionally approved category A and category B statement of works.
The senior officer (C suite) responsible for these omissions and errors.
The projected costs of external consultants for all stages of the works (including lettings) at the point of original approval.
The projected costs of external consultants for all stages of the works (including lettings) when both buildings are fully occupied.
The projected cost of ongoing facilities management per year at the point of original approval.
The overspend or underspend for facilities management per year compared to the original projected costs (adjusted for inflation).
The senior officer (C suite) responsible for this overspend or underspend.
The projected total overspend or underspend for the complete works compared to the originally approved overall approved total spend (adjusted for inflation).
The stage of each potential lettings negotiations, using the below categories:
• Negotiation & Agreement on Heads of Terms.
• Solicitors Instructed.
• AML and Client Care Details.
• Tenant Solicitor Confirms Instruction and Requests Draft Papers.
• Due Diligence and Lease.
• Negotiations.
• Report on Lease.
• Completion.
• Post Completion Formalities.
The information requested above should take no more than 18 hours when using comprehensive and complete statement of accounts.
If this information cannot be confirmed please state why it is not possible given the requirement on the council to maintain comprehensive accounts for all public works.
Yours faithfully,
Mr. Peters
Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'New Council Offices 2 and 4 Alice Ker Square'.
This includes the disclosure of all emails, Microsoft Teams messages, meetings, meeting notes and actions relevant to my FOI request.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/n...
Yours faithfully,
Mr Peters
Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,
I am disappointed that you have failed to acknowledge my FOI request, failed to answer my FOI request within a reasonable time period, failed to explain why you have not answered my FOI request within a reasonable time period, failed to acknowledge my request for an internal review, failed to review the handling of my FOI request within a reasonable time period, failed to explain why you have not reviewed the handling of my FOI request.
How many further failures am I expected to tolerate before being forced to ask the ICO to intervene?
Yours faithfully,
Mr Peters
Dear Mr Peters
Your original request was received on 25 January 2024 and a response was
due 22 February 2024.
You made a request for an internal review on 22 February 2024, the 20th
working day. Internal reviews do not have a prescribed timescale for a
response but it is best practice to reply within 20 working days. This
means that a response is now not due until 21 March 2024.
We are currently dealing with a very high volume of requests that have led
to a backlog and a delay in response times. We apologise for this but we
do not currently have the resources to reply to all enquiries on time,
despite our best efforts.
A response is due by 21 March 2024. You may complain to the ICO if you
wish, although they will expect that the IR process has been exhausted
before considering your complaint for investigation.
Yours sincerely
Lynette Paterson
Principal Information Management Officer
Finance – Digital and Improvement
Wirral Council
PO Box 290
Brighton Street
Wallasey
CH27 9FQ
Email: [1][Wirral Borough Council request email]
Visit our website: [2]www.wirral.gov.uk
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager.
References
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1. mailto:[Wirral Borough Council request email]
2. http://www.wirral.gov.uk/
Dear InfoMgr, FinDMT,
This is now beyond any reasonable timescales and you have still to provide any form of an answer to my request, or my request for an internal review.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Peters
Dear Mr Peters
We are currently finalising a response to your enquiry and apologise for
the delay in doing so.
Please can you clarify what is meant by the term ‘external consultants’ in
your question:
“The projected costs of external consultants for all stages of the works
(including lettings) when both buildings are fully occupied”?
To ensure we are able to provide an accurate response, please provide
guidance as to what is meant by this term and as soon as we are in
receipt, we hope to respond shortly thereafter.
Yours sincerely
Lynette Paterson
Principal Information Management Officer
Law and Corporate Services
Wirral Council
PO Box 290
Brighton Street
Wallasey
CH27 9FQ
Email: [1][Wirral Borough Council request email]
Visit our website: [2]www.wirral.gov.uk
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[Wirral Borough Council request email]
2. http://www.wirral.gov.uk/
Dear InfoMgr, FinDMT,
Anyone who is not an employee of the Council engaged on the project.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Peters
Dear InfoMgr, FinDMT,
When will this be resolved as its a simple FOI?
Yours sincerely,
Mr Peters
Dear Mr Peters
Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in responding to your
enquiry, your patience is very much appreciated. Please see below
comments.
• The projected cost of the category A works at the point of original
approval.
£40,123,813.00
• The overspend or underspend at the end of the category A works
compared to the original projected costs (adjusted for inflation).
Cost £39,847,391.76 (£276,421.24 underspend)
• The senior officer (C suite) responsible for this underspend.
Director of Regeneration and Place, Alan Evans (left September 2022)
Director of Regeneration and Place, David Hughes (left April 2024)
Director of Regeneration and Place, Marc Cole (left July 2024 )
• The projected cost of the category B works at the point of original
approval.
£7,335,000.00
• The overspend or underspend at the end of the category B works
compared to the original projected costs (adjusted for inflation).
£755,564 underspend
• The senior officer (C suite) responsible for this overspend or
underspend.
Director of Regeneration and Place, David Hughes (left April 2024)
• The total cost of any additional works needed (omissions, faults and
errors) not specified in the originally approved category A and
category B statement of works.
CAT A – None
CAT B - £449,165.02 change control to original contract
• The senior officer (C suite) responsible for these omissions and
errors.
Director of Regeneration and Place, David Hughes (left April 2024)
• The projected costs of external consultants for all stages of the
works (including lettings) at the point of original approval.
CAT A – £3,911,549.00
CAT B – £660,806.00
• Lettings / Sales / Marketing Fees
To date there have been no sales or lettings. The marketing fees for the
Birkenhead Commercial District total £105,549.88 to date
• The projected costs of external consultants for all stages of the
works (including lettings) when both buildings are fully occupied.
Not held
• The projected cost of ongoing facilities management per year at the
point of original approval.
Projected costs of £1,000,000 per year
• The overspend or underspend for facilities management per year
compared to the original projected costs (adjusted for inflation).
Occupation of 2 Alice Ker Square only commenced from 1st April 2024 and as
such a comparison of the first years actual FM costs against projected
will not be available until after 31st March 2025.
• The senior officer (C suite) responsible for this overspend or
underspend.
As above, costs will not be available until after 31 March 2025
• The projected total overspend or underspend for the complete works
compared to the originally approved overall approved total spend
(adjusted for inflation).
This has already been defined within the information presented on the CAT
A and B works.
• The stage of each potential lettings negotiations, using the below
categories:
• Negotiation & Agreement on Heads of Terms.
• Solicitors Instructed.
• AML and Client Care Details.
• Tenant Solicitor Confirms Instruction and Requests Draft Papers.
• Due Diligence and Lease.
• Negotiations.
• Report on Lease.
• Completion.
• Post Completion Formalities.
Not held as currently no lettings.
Yours sincerely
Lynette Paterson
Principal Information Management Officer
Law and Corporate Services
Wirral Council
PO Box 290
Brighton Street
Wallasey
CH27 9FQ
Email: [1][email address]
Visit our website: [2]www.wirral.gov.uk
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email%20address]
2. http://www.wirral.gov.uk/
Dear InfoMgr, FinDMT,
Thank you for partially answering my questions. However you have failed to answer the following adequately.
• The projected costs of external consultants for all stages of the works (including lettings) when both buildings are fully occupied.
You have stated that these are not held. However I cannot accept this is knownly true and you will know what it has cost to date and the costs of any current agreements to the end of those agreements.
I would have also hoped you would have pointed me to the committee reports and evidence as to when, where and who made these spending decisions.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Peters
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