Council must face investigation for scandal of contractor overpayments 08.12

For those of you unable to obtain copies of the Islington Gazette article and letter please see below.

[1] The Islington Gazette attachment letter dated 30 Aug 2012.  – Council must face investigation for scandal of contractor overpayments – Patrick Leamy  

“…Islington council had a vested interest in overcharging by contractors …… The message being sent out to contractors by Islington council is ” if you get caught overcharging, don’t worry we will pay the legal cost with public money to defend your actions…..”

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Council must face investigation for scandal of contractor overpayments 08.12

[2] The Islington Gazette Article dated 24 Aug 2012.
Islington town hall’s ‘sweetheart deal’ with building firm is condemned
Brian Potter
Brian Potter

by Jon Dean Friday, August 24, 2012   

Details have emerged of a profit-sharing “sweetheart” deal struck by Islington Council that saw a private contractor pocket more than £12million.

A legitimate arrangement between the council and building firm Kier, which ran from 2000 to 2010, saw each party receive £12.1million of taxpayers’ money over the ten-year period.

Under the deal, the town hall gave Kier a lump sum based on an estimate of how much all repairs to council houses would cost throughout each year.

At the end of the 12-month period, if the repair work had cost less than expected, the remainder would be split between the council and Kier.

Many feel that these kind of deals should never have been made because they are so open to abuse.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps, speaking on a TV programme about leaseholder charges, said: “I feel that’s unforgivable, these kind of sweetheart deals, and I feel particularly strongly when it’s a local authority doing this kind of thing. They should have the interests of their tenants automatically at heart.”

The council confirm that the share they received will be spent on building new homes, but many leaseholders, who are charged for repair work, feel they are entitled to some kind of rebate because they believe they paid their share of the full estimate, not the actual cost.

Brian Potter, chairman of Islington Leaseholder Association, said: “It’s absolutely disgusting. Any profit-sharing arrangement is very dubious and suspicious. They should pay a fair amount for the work done and there wouldn’t be anything left over.

“As soon as this deal started virtually all the outstanding repairs were conveniently forgotten when Kier took over. The whole thing stinks.”

Cllr James Murray, Islington Council’s executive member for housing and regeneration, said: “The joint venture arrangement was set up under a past administration and the money was reinvested in housing stock.

“However, in the current administration we do not think this arrangement is best for our residents and we ended the joint venture contract soon after coming to power.”


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