Secrecy surrounds 'privatisation' of services at Cornwall Council

7:00am Friday 8th March 2013 in Cornwall

With Cornwall Council’s cabinet approving the process to send out the tender for the 'Joint Venture' privatisation, undisclosed last minute changes have left the public in the dark.

Cornwall councillor Andy Wallis says that, "suddenly BT have offered a better deal", but that information cannot be released to the public as most of the debate was in closed session.

Mr Wallis said: "I will say there are savings. But no way near what was hoped. Though it will be interesting to see the final costs the council incurred against the actual savings this contract will bring over the ten year period of the contract. It would not shock me if the difference between the two was not that much.

"As for jobs, there is a number of guaranteed jobs during the life of the contract. It is not anywhere near the original 500. But to be fair, the contract is a lot smaller. There is also an ‘aspiration’ for more jobs, but that is not guaranteed."

He added that he was frustrated that he could not actually say what has been agreed.

"After all it is in the public interest, it is using tax payers money and there is only one bidder left in the mix. So it is hardly going to make a difference. By keeping it so secret it just portrays the culture of secrecy, mistrust and misunderstanding of council business," said cllr Wallis.

Comments(24)

Gillian Zella Martin 09 says...
8:00am Fri 8 Mar 13

Before the new council is elected in May, people should perhaps be asking prospective candidates standing for election, what their policy is on openness and transparency.
A joint venture is probably now the only way to go in order to make savings, since the ridiculous fiasco of voting in an unworkable budget that will inevitably result in cuts to services and job losses.

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Mike Rigby says...
8:00am Fri 8 Mar 13

Don't do it! Just look up the road at Somerset's experience with the disastrous SouthWestOne contract. Any perceived savings in these privatisations are illusory.

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ucsweb says...
8:09am Fri 8 Mar 13

It hasn't worked anywhere else. But as before, the cabinet know better but can't tell us why!
When this comes crashing down around our ears they will be long gone.

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Gillian Zella Martin 09 says...
8:19am Fri 8 Mar 13

It should be remembered that cabinet members or any other councillor may or may not be long gone after May, but they will no doubt still be living in Cornwall and therefore will themselves still be affected by any decision made prior to May, the same as the rest of the public.

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GrahamHarris says...
9:27am Fri 8 Mar 13

May I suggest to anyone who is about to fill in a Council form for any sort of benefits etc, make sure that you keep some of your personal information ''undisclosed'' and tell the Council that ''the information cannot be released''.

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ucsweb says...
2:59pm Fri 8 Mar 13

It should be remembered that cabinet members may be long gone and no longer living in Cornwall in five or ten years. This contract is for years!

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Gillian Zella Martin 09 says...
4:27pm Fri 8 Mar 13

Well I would put money on the fact that at least one cabinet member will still be living in Cornwall in ten years time and I would even put money on them being re elected.

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omdurman 1898 says...
4:32pm Fri 8 Mar 13

Gillian Zella Martin 09 wrote:
Well I would put money on the fact that at least one cabinet member will still be living in Cornwall in ten years time and I would even put money on them being re elected.
I bet the one you're thinking of lives in Falmouth!

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omdurman 1898 says...
4:49pm Fri 8 Mar 13

Gillian Zella Martin 09 wrote:
Before the new council is elected in May, people should perhaps be asking prospective candidates standing for election, what their policy is on openness and transparency.
A joint venture is probably now the only way to go in order to make savings, since the ridiculous fiasco of voting in an unworkable budget that will inevitably result in cuts to services and job losses.
Ha, Ha!. That's quite a mouthful isn't it lol!
First, we had just plain old 'Gill Martin', then the 'Zella' was added. Next came the 09, the meaning of which, well the mind boggles. Still, i guess we will have to be kept in suspense until next week's Packet to see if the new Moniker stays!

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Gillian Zella Martin 09 says...
5:04pm Fri 8 Mar 13

omdurman 1898 wrote:
Gillian Zella Martin 09 wrote:
Well I would put money on the fact that at least one cabinet member will still be living in Cornwall in ten years time and I would even put money on them being re elected.
I bet the one you're thinking of lives in Falmouth!
No wrong. In fact I wasn't aware there were any cabinet members living in Falmouth. I am actually thinking about Councillor Carolyn Rule.

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Gillian Zella Martin 09 says...
5:10pm Fri 8 Mar 13

omdurman 1898 wrote:
Gillian Zella Martin 09 wrote:
Before the new council is elected in May, people should perhaps be asking prospective candidates standing for election, what their policy is on openness and transparency.
A joint venture is probably now the only way to go in order to make savings, since the ridiculous fiasco of voting in an unworkable budget that will inevitably result in cuts to services and job losses.
Ha, Ha!. That's quite a mouthful isn't it lol!
First, we had just plain old 'Gill Martin', then the 'Zella' was added. Next came the 09, the meaning of which, well the mind boggles. Still, i guess we will have to be kept in suspense until next week's Packet to see if the new Moniker stays!
Actually you are wrong yet again. As the Packet can confirm my user name was originally Zella then Gill Zella Martin then Gillian Zella Martin 09 etc simply because I changed my e-mail address several times and closed the old accounts and as anyone with any common sense will know, you cannot use the same user name twice on the Packet website and obviously cannot use an e-mail account that is closed.

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Gillian Zella Martin 09 says...
5:44pm Fri 8 Mar 13

Incidentally I added my full name to Zella on the website after some Cornwall Councillors demanded to know who St Austell Adam and Zella were posting on the Packet website a year or so ago (see BBC Graham Smiths blog, that will verify it) as I had nothing to hide I published who I was in the Packet and added my full name on line. Perhaps next time you may like to do your research, not that I should have to justify myself to you who posts under a pseudonym, and incidentally the Packet is part of the News Quest group which covers many local area papers, all of which have on line commenting facilities and people using different user names which obviously cannot be used twice.

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Gillian Zella Martin 09 says...
6:01pm Fri 8 Mar 13

omdurman 1898 wrote:
Gillian Zella Martin 09 wrote:
Well I would put money on the fact that at least one cabinet member will still be living in Cornwall in ten years time and I would even put money on them being re elected.
I bet the one you're thinking of lives in Falmouth!
Please do enlighten me as to which Falmouth Cornwall Councillor you had in mind ?

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Tell_it_as_it_is says...
6:03pm Fri 8 Mar 13

http://ukcampaign4ch
ange.com/2013/03/08/
cornwall-council-rus
hes-to-sign-bt-outso
urcing-deal-before-e
lections/

Cornwall Council, by the way, has one of the best local authority websites I have seen. If the website is a reflection of the imagination and efficiency of its IT department, Cornwall Council should be selling its IT skills to BT for a small fortune – not giving staff away.

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Tell_it_as_it_is says...
11:39am Sat 9 Mar 13

Former Cornwall Council CEO Lavery negotiates an “exit sweetener” in New Zealand!

http://www.stuff.co.
nz/dominion-post/new
s/8402587/New-city-c
ouncil-bosss-exit-sw
eetener

——————
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Wellington City Council’s new boss is in line for a “golden parachute” payment of up to $200,000 if he ends up losing his job in a super-city reorganisation.

If there is regional amalgamation before the end of Kevin Lavery’s five-year contract, and he doesn’t get another job within the new council, he will be entitled to half his $400,000 annual salary, or the remainder of his contract – whichever is less.

The details of Dr Lavery’s contract as Wellington City Council chief executive can be revealed after an official information request by The Dominion Post.

It also shows ratepayers spent more than $12,000 flying him to Wellington for an interview, and that he can claim up to $40,000 for the cost of shifting his family from Cornwall to New Zealand.”
——————
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A great shame that Mr Lavery doesn’t appear to negotiate Council contracts with the private sector as shrewdly he negotiates his own contracts! Why is that?

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omdurman 1898 says...
11:57am Sat 9 Mar 13

Gillian Zella Martin 09 wrote:
omdurman 1898 wrote:
Gillian Zella Martin 09 wrote:
Well I would put money on the fact that at least one cabinet member will still be living in Cornwall in ten years time and I would even put money on them being re elected.
I bet the one you're thinking of lives in Falmouth!
Please do enlighten me as to which Falmouth Cornwall Councillor you had in mind ?
The one who run's a Carpet Cleaning Business......... S E!

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Gillian Zella Martin 09 says...
12:52pm Sat 9 Mar 13

omdurman 1898 wrote:
Gillian Zella Martin 09 wrote:
omdurman 1898 wrote:
Gillian Zella Martin 09 wrote:
Well I would put money on the fact that at least one cabinet member will still be living in Cornwall in ten years time and I would even put money on them being re elected.
I bet the one you're thinking of lives in Falmouth!
Please do enlighten me as to which Falmouth Cornwall Councillor you had in mind ?
The one who run's a Carpet Cleaning Business......... S E!
Councillor Steve Eva is not a cabinet member, my original statement said "cabinet member"

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Gillian Zella Martin 09 says...
6:12am Mon 11 Mar 13

omdurman 1898 wrote:
Gillian Zella Martin 09 wrote:
omdurman 1898 wrote:
Gillian Zella Martin 09 wrote:
Well I would put money on the fact that at least one cabinet member will still be living in Cornwall in ten years time and I would even put money on them being re elected.
I bet the one you're thinking of lives in Falmouth!
Please do enlighten me as to which Falmouth Cornwall Councillor you had in mind ?
The one who run's a Carpet Cleaning Business......... S E!
Incidentally, I find it strange as why you would assume I was referring to a Falmouth councillor anyway with regard to my original comment, not only because there are no Falmouth cabinet members but because I have clearly expressed interest in the areas of Helston, Porthleven, Falmouth, Mullion and the Lizard on an equal basis in the past.

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omdurman 1898 says...
12:17pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Gillian Zella Martin 09 wrote:
omdurman 1898 wrote:
Gillian Zella Martin 09 wrote:
omdurman 1898 wrote:
Gillian Zella Martin 09 wrote:
Well I would put money on the fact that at least one cabinet member will still be living in Cornwall in ten years time and I would even put money on them being re elected.
I bet the one you're thinking of lives in Falmouth!
Please do enlighten me as to which Falmouth Cornwall Councillor you had in mind ?
The one who run's a Carpet Cleaning Business......... S E!
Incidentally, I find it strange as why you would assume I was referring to a Falmouth councillor anyway with regard to my original comment, not only because there are no Falmouth cabinet members but because I have clearly expressed interest in the areas of Helston, Porthleven, Falmouth, Mullion and the Lizard on an equal basis in the past.
How absolutely trite of you to have to post another comment on this, and especially at that time of day, lol!

I suggest that you stick to commenting on your on little area, and not Falmouth, as it seems you know little about the various issues in the Community. That was proved some weeks ago when i posted a view on Planning issues. Just by travelling to Falmouth on the Bus, and passing through various Villages en route, you think Ms Martin that you know it all! Incidentally, please at least provide the full name for a Village if you are referring to it!

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Gillian Zella Martin 09 says...
1:01pm Mon 11 Mar 13

I do not need to stick to commenting on my own little area as you so eloquently put it, I do not have my 'own little area' I do not think I know it all, on many occasions I have stated that I may be wrong, and at least i will always admit if i am wrong, although I have to say at least I knew there were no Falmouth cabinet members unlike you. What on earth does it matter what time of the day it is that I post a comment, if I happen to be on line anyway.

I suggest that just because you may not agree with my views you would do well to refrain from making comments that you cannot substantiate with a logical reason as to why you would think that I was referring to a Falmouth councillor in my original statement.

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Gillian Zella Martin 09 says...
1:30pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Incidentally omdurman 1898, are you psychic because I was wondering how you know what I think.
As for me knowing little about the various issues in the community, I know what I need to know, when I need to know thanks.

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Gillian Zella Martin 09 says...
5:19pm Mon 11 Mar 13

omdurman 1898 wrote:
Gillian Zella Martin 09 wrote:
Incidentally omdurman 1898, are you psychic because I was wondering how you know what I think.
As for me knowing little about the various issues in the community, I know what I need to know, when I need to know thanks.
I hope you get over your Paranoia, i really do.Feeling a little light headed are you? Must be a consequence of being battered by your ex lol!

Incidentally, i think you would make a great replacement for the Lollipop Man at Parc Eglos School...... as you like to make an exhibition of yourself!
Gillian Zella Martin 09; YOUR LOOK DOES NOT KEEP YOU FROM SLEEPING?
Omdurman 1898 your comment is in my view malicious and slanderous as
I have not been battered by an ex as I have no ex, I am a widow, and was not battered by my late husband. I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

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Gillian Zella Martin 09 says...
5:59pm Mon 11 Mar 13

I also believe omdurman 1898 that your comment is demeaning to school crossing patrol people who do an excellent job.

In my view for you to make fun and laugh at anyone who has been assaulted is sick.

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Jo Kernow says...
5:16pm Wed 13 Mar 13

I see omdurmans comment has been removed, that is good seeing as it was a disgrace, anyone that finds assaults against women by men or any assaults to that matter funny, is pathetic in my opinion and lacking in intelligence. omdurman why don't you at least have the guts to post comments such as that under your real name. Why do you try to incite argument by making snide insinuations about which councillors are being referred to by others. You remind me strongly of falmouthborn who similarly made those type of comments for the most part of last year. Why on earth Gill did not tell you where to go in the strongest possible terms i have no idea because i think you deserve a bit back of what you give out on this website, it is not the first time i have noticed your nasty comments to her.

As for privatisation I am glad to see it is going ahead. Well done to the cabinet members for voting it in.

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