Following on from
last week's post... We now have the answer to my ward colleague
Cllr Dominic Thorncroft's Council Assembly question about what exactly has happened to the £14.5m.
Bizarrely the answer from
LibDem Cllr Paul Noblet (the Executive Member for Regeneration) only covers £4.75m! So no answer on what's happened (or happening) with the remaining £9.75m. I've typed the full answer in at the bottom.
I'm truly flabbergasted at this. Dominic's question was crystal clear and asked for a full breakdown of the £14.5m. He asked it in the most formal way possible for a councillor - via a council assembly question to the executive member. I'm shocked that they think they can get away with this partial answer and I'm left wondering what they are trying to hide. Perhaps the most revealing line of the answer is the final line which confirms that money which hasn't yet been spent or committed will be "reviewed as part of the capital programme refresh ... early in the New Year."
The council has recently commissioned an audit of the project, unfortunately I've only been allowed to see it on a strictly confidential basis and would risk being
"struck off" as a councillor if I published it. I had hoped that the council question would bring the information into the public domain, but clearly that hasn't worked so today I have submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the council asking for the audit report and repeating the request for a breakdown of the full £14.5m. My full request is pasted in at the below and I will post the council's response when I receive it.
33. Question to the Executive Member for Regeneration from Cllr Dominic ThorncroftIn 2005 the council allocated a five year budget of £14.5 million for the Nunhead and East Peckham renewal area. Six months ago, local councillors met with senior officers to seek an update, but despite officers indicating that a progress review was in hand, no further information has yet been forthcoming:
a) Please provide an itemised breakdown of spending that has been made from the allocated budget;
b) Please provide an itemised breakdown of spending that is committed to be made from the allocated budget;
c) How much money remains in this specific budget for allocation on this renewal area?
Responsea) A total of £933,268 has been spent to date, against the following heads of expenditure:
- Nunhead environmental £95,899
- East Peckham environmental £192,151
- East Peckham & Nunhead lighting £645,218
b) Remaining commitments are £2,837,687 against the following heads of expenditure:
- Nunhead and Evelina Road £739,000
- Meeting House Lane £487,997
- East Peckham & Nunhead lighting £366,645
- Queens Road £1,244,045
c) There is a remaining balance of £979,045
The uncommitted sum will be reviewed as part of the capital programme refresh being submitted to executive early in the New Year.
Freedom of Information Request to Southwark Council - 9 November 2009
I would like to request the following information under the Freedom of Act.
a) The Overview Report of the PWC audit of the East Peckham & Nunhead Renewal Scheme commissioned the Director of Finance
b) An itemised breakdown of the spending that has been made from the allocated £14.5m budget including
- Street renewal
- Loans & Grants
- Environmental Improvements (phase 1 and 2)
c) An itemised breakdown of spending that is committed to be made from the allocated £14.5m budget including
- Street renewal
- Loans & Grants
- Environmental Improvements (phase 1 and 2)
d) The money remaining of the £14.5m budget including
- Street renewal
- Loans & Grants
- Environmental Improvements (phase 1 and 2)
I note that the answer provided to Cllr Thorncroft at Council Assembly on 4 November only covered Environmental Improvements Phase 1 (£4.75m). This request for is for information covering the full £14.5m budget.
Please reply by email to this email address.
Regards
Cllr Fiona Colley
Labour Member for Nunhead Ward