Selection criteria for Market Traders relocating to the Argos Market Birkenhead

Subject: Freedom of Information Request

Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,

I am writing to request all documents related to the selection criteria used to determine the amount of rentable stall area Market Traders would require in the proposed Argos Market Birkenhead. This should include, but not be limited to, Market Trader selection criteria discussion documents and calculations created by and between Mr R Langer, the Market Manager, and Raymond Lynch of Market Curators.

Thank you for your attention to this matter..

Yours faithfully,

Erebus Smith

Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,
Hello everyone in the Information Management Team, I hope you’re all doing well.

Please forward this message to the individual responsible for conducting Freedom of Information reviews.

I am extremely disappointed that the Information Request “Selection criteria for Market Traders relocating to the Argos Market Birkenhead' has not yielded the requested information within the maximum 20 working days as prescribed by the FOI Act. Please initiate an internal review.

Furthermore, I request that you forward this email chain to the Council’s complaints department, and indicate that I am lodging a complaint regarding the Regeneration Directorate's consistent late responses to FOI requests. I would also like to receive a complaint reference number, please.

Kindest regards
Erebus Smith
AKA Alan Featherstone

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

Hi Lynette, how ya doing today?

Please pass this on to the person who conducted the Freedom of Information review and whoever is responsible for the latest reply to this request. I apologise if this email seems a little terse in places, I mean no disrespect to anyone in the Information Team.

Y’know when I originally made this request for “all documents related to the selection criteria used to determine the amount of rentable stall area Market Traders would require in the proposed Argos Market”
I assumed I’d receive the spreadsheet Raymond Lynch of Market Curators and Mr Robert Langer the Market Manager had created and consulted over when working out the amount of stall area each individual trader would need… For example I expected to see something like.. Big Flower Shop presently rents 70 square meters / Big Flower Shop will presently get 10 square meters in Argos.
I also assumed I’d receive justifications for why stalls were being reduced so dramatically. Pretty simple stuff, I thought. Didn’t assume, made an ass of me?

And so here I am, back again!
The Council’s response states “The service has confirmed that presently the Council does not hold the selection criteria used to determine the amount of rentable stall area Market Traders would require in the proposed Argos Market Birkenhead”.

1: Please explain what “the service” is. Is it the Director of Asset Management Mr Marcus Shaw or the Market Manager, Mr Robert Langer? What is the position held by the person or persons responsible for “the service” and the accuracy of the response given?

2: Please ask “the service” to explain what they mean when stating .. “presently the Council does not hold the selection criteria used to determine the amount of rentable stall area Market Traders”.
Either the Council do hold the requested information OR the Council do not hold the requested information.
Adding the words “presently” and “the service” makes the whole response ambiguous. For example… I am presently awaiting a response that presently complies with the Freedom of Information Act presently in existence.

3: The Council’s response states “The service has confirmed that presently the Council does not hold the selection criteria used to determine the amount of rentable stall area Market Traders would require in the proposed Argos Market Birkenhead”
I requested “ALL DOCUMENTS related to the selection criteria used to determine the amount of rentable stall area Market Traders would require in the proposed Argos Market”. Where are ALL DOCUMENTS?

4: I’m finding it very difficult to believe “the service” are being entirely factual in his answer when stating presently or otherwise, “ the Council does not hold the selection criteria used to determine the amount of rentable stall area Market Traders would require in the proposed Argos Market”
There are at least two reports submitted to the Economy Regeneration and Housing Committee that refer to the requirements of traders …
A: https://democracy.wirral.gov.uk/document...
Page 83 4.5 “ The existing unit (Argos) provides sufficient space to meet the majority of the brief requirements although the number of stalls is slightly reduced”
B: https://democracy.wirral.gov.uk/document...
“Having analysed the letting schedule and consulted with market management, we are of the opinion that only 5,000 sq. ft of lettable space will be required within the new facility to house traders fulfilling acceptance criteria”.
Were these reports inaccurate? Where is the brief? Where are the documents that helped inform the brief? why haven’t they been sent to me as requested? Or perhaps the Reports are wrong? And elected Members? Maybe we’re misled?
I wonder if the Information Team could remind “the service” that the Freedom of Information Act is an act of law and they as Council Officers are statutorily bound by it.

6: Looking at the bright side, I’ve received some nice encouragement and assistance with this FOI. One person pointed out that my FOI refers to the environment in which I may run my future business and therefore it’s an EIR Environmental Information Request.
As such and to remind “the service” what I requested I will repeat my original request as an EIR “I am writing to request all documents related to the selection criteria used to determine the amount of rentable stall area Market Traders would require in the proposed Argos Market Birkenhead. This should include, but not be limited to, Market Trader selection criteria discussion documents and calculations created by and between Mr R Langer, the Market Manager, and Raymond Lynch of Market Curators”.

And finally, Please forward this email to everyone concerned including Christie in Corprate Complaints and ask her to either add this to the existing complaint Ref: CFS-7898357, or alternatively, create a new complaint and send me a new number.

Market Traders would require

I am writing to request an internal review of Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'Selection criteria for Market Traders relocating to the Argos Market Birkenhead'.

[ GIVE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR COMPLAINT HERE ]

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

Yours faithfully,

Erebus Smith AKA Alan Featherstone

Hi Tracey,
I’m a little surprised that Mr Langer the market manager doesn’t hold any of the selection criteria information I requested, after all, Mr Linch did state….. “Having analysed the letting schedule and consulted with market management, we are of the opinion that only 5,000 sq. ft of lettable space will be required within the new facility to house traders fulfilling acceptance criteria.”

HAVING - “CONSULTED WITH THE MARKET MANAGEMENT, WE ARE OF THE OPINION”
So, Mr Langer shared approximately 30 letting schedules with Mr Linch, they analysed these schedules as part of their consultations, checked how much rentable space each individual trader was currently using, calculated how much less rentable space each individual trader could survive on in Argos, and they both reached the conclusion that the lettable area could be reduced by a massive 60%… And yet, there are no calculations, no records and no spreadsheets to illustrate how Mr Langer and Mr Linch reached their controversial conclusion.

Mr Shaw recently stated “It’s important that this (Argos Market) is an evidence based decision”
Can you ask Marcus Shaw to confirm who holds the requested information and if he’s seen it.

Cheers

Erebus Smith AKA Alan Featherstone

Dear InfoMgr, FinDMT,
I believe the Head of Legal Services & Monitoring Officer, is now overseeing the Information Team’s performance and I would appreciate her oversight in this matter.

ORIGINAL REQUEST..
I am writing to request all documents related to the selection criteria used to determine the amount of rentable stall area Market Traders would require in the proposed Argos Market Birkenhead. This should include, but not be limited to, Market Trader selection criteria discussion documents and calculations created by and between Mr R Langer, the Market Manager, and Raymond Lynch of Market Curators.

THE COUNCIL CLAIM.. “Your request was specifically focused upon stall sizes”-“ There is no documentation relating to the ‘amount of rentable stall area’.

The Site Options Appraisal Report submitted by Raymond Linch to the Regeneration Committee meeting 27 March states…
Page 17 “Having analysed the letting schedule and consulted with market management, we are of the opinion that only 5,000 sq. ft of lettable space will be required within the new facility to house traders fulfilling acceptance criteria”.
Page 43 “ The size of the site matches the anticipated space requirement for a new market hall”
https://democracy.wirral.gov.uk/document..
...
The Birkenhead Market Feasibility Report submitted to the Regeneration Committee meeting 27 March states..
Page 83 4.5 “ The existing unit (Argos) provides sufficient space to meet the majority of the brief requirements although the number of stalls is slightly reduced”
https://democracy.wirral.gov.uk/document

I believe the Regeneration Directorate is overly dissecting and purposely misinterpreting this information request in an attempt to withhold potentially damaging information and calculations. For instance, it is difficult to understand how Mr. Linch and Mr. Langer could consult over thirty letting schedules, inspect 70 stalls, assess the trading area required for each individual retailer, and then calculate the total area needed for all 70 stalls. Despite these extensive evaluations, they concluded that the total rentable stall area could be reduced by an astonishing 60%. However, the Council claims that there are no calculations or documents to support this conclusion. How can anyone trust the accuracy of these calculations? Didn’t their math teachers teach them to show their work, or they risk being accused of guessing or, worse, cheating?

Additionally, where is the brief? Where are the documents that informed the brief, as mentioned in the Birkenhead Market Feasibility Report? Why haven't these been provided as requested?

Please forward this complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office so that they may determine the next course of action.

Yours sincerely,

Erebus Smith AKA Alan Featherstone