'What then would it mean for the borough of Tameside being so entwined with the company should the worst happen and Carillion go into liquidation.'
At that time Carillion was the Tameside Council’s favourite developer, but it was not only 'facilitating' the big building projects like the new council offices through Vision Tameside, it was providing school meals for thousands of Tameside children and managing and maintaining, council owned buildings and schools.
Nigel Pivaro put the obvious question:
'If Carillion did cease to operate what would happen to work such as this and the provision of school meals? and the still to be delivered building projects such as the new council offices in Ashton which will not expected to be completed for at least late Autumn?'
The Tameside Reporter then asked Tameside's Labour Council about emergency plans to be put in place in event of Carillion going pear shaped?
To which, Tameside MBC 'declined to respond'.
According to the Tameside Reporter, Tameside Council was never getting such a good deal from Carillion:
'The provision of school meals came in at 26 pence per unit more than central government gives to council’s to provide them.
'This has meant that one school is is having to meet the difference with £16,000 from its own budget over the year.
'It is understood that around 90 other schools across Tameside are having to meet a similar financial shortfall.
'Carillion are said by Russell Scott’s governors to still owe the school £100,000 for energy costs incurred during the building of the new school.
'It is fair to say that Carillion despite their global reach as a major player in construction and support services, has endured major criticism resulting from sub standard work across a range of contracts nationally.'
Critically Mr. Pivaro then argued that:
'The dilemma for Tameside now is should it begin to divest itself from its exclusive relationship with Carillion and ask itself is it wise gong forward to have all the council’s eggs in one basket with one firm, on whom it depends too much.'
Time will only tell how lacking in prudence and foresight Tameside Council has been in engaging in a deadly embrace with the notorious blacklisting company Carillion.
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3 comments:
NV has just had a tip off from a Tameside source:
'I'm told Pivaro has been warned off by New Charter for his articles on TMBC/Carillion. He isn't happy. Wouldn't surprise me if NC mop up all the contracts.'
This one does not surprise me either.
Take a look at the New Charter details at Companies House.The number of Tameside Councillors that have been Directors of a New Charter or an affiliate Company is mind boggling.
Search back a little further and you will find a few have jumped ship and moved to companies which have other direct links with Tameside MBC.
The recently deceased Leader of the Council was a director of New Charter, so where do you think the contracts will go now.?
Ashton Pioneer Homes, APH, have Councillors and Officers on the board too.
Again how can we have impartiality when giving out contracts when a large proportion of the directors of the company are indeed connected to the local authority awarding the contract.
No openness or transparency. Perhaps this should be the new motto for Tameside MBC, once the backstabbing ends over who is going to be the new leader of the Council.
When I read Nigels article some time back, I was surprised that it did pass the editor, as it was critical over the councils actions and we all know that New Charter own The Ashton Reporter as well as Tameside Radio, both of whom, very rarely, if ever cause any open criticism of the council or it ineptitude. Who knows, one day perhaps.
The Blueknight.
Isn't there a long history of such intertwining going back a century or perhaps much more? Could we say this corruption is a return to the tradition of mutual back scratching? And can we find examples when this has been challenged from below?
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