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Police investigation into Council bidders
Dear Sir,
Having read last week’s story about a police investigation into the directors of a company that was a bidder for the Council contract to build St Matthews Academy and three other North Ayrshire schools, I can’t help thinking that another police investigation needs to be held into the contract itself (Council PPP bidders still under police investigation - News, 27/02/10).
It is clear that there was no competition for the multi-million pound contract, and that the schools that were built are of poor quality, compared with schools that have stood since the 1960s and 1970s.
Someone needs to lift the stone that those responsible for the PPP schools are hiding under. Is there no-one at NAC prepared to shine a light on what went on when the Council was looking for a contractor to build new schools?
Perhaps, once the Metropolitan Police investigation into the company directors of Americium Developments Ltd is complete, there will then be time to fully investigate their involvement in North Ayrshire.
John Higgins
Ardrossan
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Dear Sir,
Two stories in last week’s the3towns.com must surely be linked.
Firstly, you reported about the Metropolitan Police investigation into Mr Richard Nawrot and Mr George Henderson, and their company’s involvement in an alleged case of fraud with an NHS contract.
In the same report, you also revealed that Mr Nawrot and Mr Henderson were also behind a company that was a bidder for North Ayrshire Council’s Schools PPP Project, and that the bid submitted by them contained a string of lies.
Secondly, you reported how Laighdykes Playing Field is still in a very poor condition, which is a result of works carried out by contractors building one of the four schools constructed under the contract that Mr Nawrot and Mr Henderson had submitted a bid for.
With the Nawrot and Henrderson bid being of such poor quality, as you reported, that meant there was only one other bid. Is it really any surprise that there are so many problems with St Matthew’s Academy and Stanley Primary, and Laighdykes, when the winning contractor could do what they liked? With no other bid, the winning contractor could do and charge exactly what they wanted.
It cannot simply be a coincidence that there was only one real bidder for the Schools Project and that poor quality schools and facilities resulted from the contract.
The time for a public enquiry into North Ayrshire Council’s actions in the awarding of its PPP contract is long overdue.
Andrea Murray
Saltcoats
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Dear Sir,
In last week’s story about a police investigation into the people behind a company that made a bid for the North Ayrshire Schools PPP Project, you said, “the bid from Comprehensive Estate Services was of such poor quality that at the first Key Stage Review of the tender process, North Ayrshire Council’s own advisors stated that it was not of a sufficient standard to progress to the next stage. However, the Council allowed it to remain.”
I have worked in procurement for the best part of 20 years and I have never heard of a a poor quality bid being allowed to remain past a Key Stage Review that flagged up such a problem.
It is not in a procurers interests to allow a poor quality bid to remain. Unless, that is, they only have one other bid , which would mean they are in breach of the competition requirement of the tender process.
It would seem that North Ayrshire Council allowed a non-compliant bid to remain. Such a course of action would not be tolerated in any organisation I have worked with.
I would suggest that the police need to look into what happened in North Ayrshire after they complete their current enquiries.
Tom Keating
Glasgow
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Laighdykes quagmire
Dear Sir,
Once again the3towns.com exposes the extremely poor condition of Laighdykes Playing Field (Laighdykes quagmire - even on a sunny day - News, 27/02/10).
The photographs you published show, beyond any doubt, that local taxpayers have been badly let down by the Labour councillors who embarked on the disastrous Schools PPP Project. Of course, you also reported last week that the company behind the supposed second bid for the contract is still being investigated by the Metropolitan Police over an alleged fraud in the NHS.
I, for one, welcome the fact we now have a local news outlet prepared to expose what North Ayrshire Council has been doing, supposedly in our name.
Keep up the good work. I mean, of course, keep up the good work the3towns.com. North Ayrshire Council’s work has been far from good.
Ian Wilson
Saltcoats
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Dear Sir,
I must congratulate you on your further report about the ’quagmire’ that Laighdykes has become since contractors working for North Ayrshire Council tore it up when they were building St Matthew’s Academy.
I am beginning to think that the Labour councillors responsible for what has happened to Laighdykes are going to get away with it.
It seems we are to get nothing more than running repairs, rather than the major re-development that is required to solve the very serious drainage problems.
Personally, I believe Cllr Peter McNamara and his Labour colleagues should be held responsible for the cost of sorting Laighdykes. A surcharge should be levied against them. But I won’t hold my breath waiting for it to happen.
Pauline Wylie
Saltcoats