Email sent – 09 August 2007 14:18
Dear Mrs Oliver
I am writing in response to your e-mail below addressed to Cllr Carter. As you will be aware the cost of scheme for the proposed school at Harcourt Street has increased. The reasons include inflation charges, the cost of implementing building regulation to ensure sustainability, inflation charges, and the costs of additional requirements to improve the Fir Tree site.
As you are aware the cost of the recommendations of Sport England is estimated to be £500,000.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information & Data Protection Processing Officer
———————————–
Dear Councillor Carter
Sorry to question you in the car park today. Since Councillor Goddard has reduced the opportunity to ask questions by over 50%, I am afraid such car park questioning might become the norm. From questioning Cllr Weldon the other night it has become apparent his is not up to speed with his portfolio.
I am taking this issue to the District Auditor and would like to check my facts first. Just over six months ago the school was, I think, going to cost £5.4 million. Now, and consultants admit that all costs have not yet been taken into account, the cost is £8.5 million. It would seem economic sense to build the new school on the Fir Tree site, especially as over half the capital receipt the Council expects to get from that site will now have to be spend on the golden elephants currently being demanded by Sport England, bless ’em. Someone other than me – a hospital typist – should be asking these questions and the Executive councillor, if he didn’t know the reason for the leap in costs, should be taking steps to find out why it has gone up so much.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards
Sheila
