Unspent café cash went on ‘quality facilities’ at park
Sunday 19th February 2012, 7:00AM GMT.
Funds were spent on the high-quality finish of the park, according to the Transport Minister
TRANSPORT Minister Kevin Lewis says that the money left over from the unbuilt café planned for the £12 million Millennium Town Park was spent on ‘high-quality finishes and facilities’.
The Deputy faces questions in the States on Tuesday about the money spent on the park, in particular the £900,000 earmarked for a café and £128,000 that his department recently demanded from the Parish of St Helier to finish some roadworks.
Deputy Lewis says that the money from the café was rolled into the rest of the project.
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You should all be ashamed of yourselves wasting this ammount of money on a facitlity that we did not need, there are people who cannot afford to pay for their services this winter, The ammount of money that is wasted is a disgrace, Vital services are being cut Health care, Care of the Elderly and the list goes on, no one is ever accountalbe for over spending, the day of reckoning will come.
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What a load of tosh!!
This money was earmarked for a cafe so who gave him authority to spend it otherwise?
What “high quality finishes and facilities” were added that weren’t included within the original (and already excessive) GBP 10 million??
We want proof, answers and perhaps a full and proper audit of this whole debacle…….heads MUST roll!
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Agreed, Prawn. Public sector mentality – the money has been approved so they’d better spend it on something. Heaven forbid they give it back to the taxpayer,
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No, this ‘explanation’ doesn’t make a lot of sense. The park was supposed to be of a ‘high-quality finish’ from outset. Freddie Cohen insisted on the railings which were not part of the original design. These railings are all set in plinths of dressed granite blocks, which no doubt added to the costs. At present a large amount of granite paving is being installed down Gas Place. All very nice and of high quality finish. BUT, it is worth noting that this paving, and the railing plinths are ‘quality finishes’ OUTSIDE the park, rather than in it!
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well said, but let me clarify one important point here: 70% of the £10m (now £12m?!?) budget was used to clean up the polluted soil under the car parks – only £3m was earmarked originally for the park itself. The States had been in breach of all international standards on ground pollution for decades. The park was not built because the States had any care or thought for the quality of life in St Helier. The park was built because the States would, indeed should, have been prosecuted for leaving the old Gas Works pollution just below the soil surface for so long. It contained every toxin and carcinogen known to man (and yes, I have read all the reports and analysis that the States spent over £1m on commissioning over their years and years of inaction and fudge). There most certainly should be a full public inquiry into the creation of the park but it has to look at all the mis-management. It really is much much worse than you lot know about.
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If what you say is true, the over-spending of £900k on finishings on an intial budget of £3m (excluding cleaning the soil) is, well, what words haven’t been used yet? I’ll go for “beggars belief”. And the budget itself must have been slack – £900k to build a cafe? Please.
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That is quite literally insane!
There’s no penalty for mismanaging states money so of course they’ll get away with it…again!
By the way, wasn’t there an old cholera burial site under there too?
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Thought it was £10 million!So 3 million or 30% overspend at these times where people are struggling to make ends meet,the Hospitals are desperately struggling to cover shifts because of cut backs,unemployment is highest in history,and businesses are going down the pan at an alarming rate.The end result?No accountability by Mr.Lewis on this fiasco that noone wanted and was in my opinion untimely,stupid no smoking rules at hospitals that will require policing and stand a good chance of ridiculing smokers who have to smoke in the streets in their pyjamas.3000 empty houses and empty offices and shops,in St.Helier,like I haven’t seen in my lifetime.The death rattles of the fulfillment Industry.
And the answer so far.100 new jobs at Jersey telecoms and a very dubious 200 in hospitality which statistics show is in decline.The Esplanade Quarter which apparently will cost the taxpayer nothing and yet noone has come out and said where the money is coming from,the Jersey College for Girls site which is being given to the Jersey Development Company,run by accountants with no real on the ground business experience,let alone experience in development or construction.The Chief Minister on jollies in Ireland and France buying another electricity cable.Philip Bailhache on a dizzying amount of trips telling the world that we are not a tax haven. Huge loans to telecoms for gigabit internet that few will be able to afford.Online gambling Companies that don’t want to come here.Tazers for the Police.A court Case with the British Government.A Chief Minister without a voice and a COM all with different agendas.
All a bit depressing really!
Anyway have a nice day!
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Do not forget the imminant threat to scupper the Invalidity and Disablement benefits!!!!
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The Deputy should resign. There were adverts for expression of interest to run a cafe. The cafe should have been built if it was in the Planning permission. Yet again the States run roughshod over their own rules. Parking lost, a park that causes problems for residents. All of our politicians are responsible and are an absolute disgrace to the Island. There are unemployed growing in number all the time and these politicians spend money on “quality finishes”. Says it all. Didn’t the transport minister wife stand for election to make sure they had enough income? Only she failed, shame he didn’t fail as well.
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Fair enough. So, when are they planning to install the aforementioned “high quality facilities?”
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“the £12 million Millenium Town Park” – I thought it was going to cost £10 million?
I wonder what it will finally cost 15M ?
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This Island has a similar Administation to that of Glasgow Rangers…!!!
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Mona, I just hope that some of that Glasgow Rangers cash is not found to have been administered from Jersey. No tax evasion here in Jersey, or what?
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I can’t imagine for a minute that the quality of finishes and facilities are any better now than were were originally planned to be when the ridiculously expensive cafe was still an option.
They should have returned the unused £900k to the states coffers.
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As good as I think the park could be I would have thought a café was essential considering the area for live entertainment,for the life of me I cannot see where £900,000 extra was spent.Please one thing when properly named make sure it has local significance,Jerri or French.
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Dear the States of Jersey
Please do not come knocking on my door for more money by means of tax rises. This episode shows above anything else that you have an inherent inability to control budgets or spending. What hope do we have if you continue to spend like its going out of fashion.
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there should be a complete cost breakdown available for everybody to see and if there is an overspend heads should roll,,,,,,,but this is just public money……..in the real world the project Manager would be facing the sack…..£10 million to £13 million is some overspend
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“Quality Facilities” Translates as…….’Another clusterf**k’ can’t find their own ass with both hands,,,this guy needs to go he currently sits on a host of overspends and is being given the run round by his civil servants…it needs a tough guy in that job so the tail does not wag the dog…and he ain’t.
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Just in reference to page 4 of saturday 18th february’s jep- i’d like to point out that TTS’s explanation of their town park budget (12,071,832.94 = 10,000,000.00 + 1,571,832.94) doesn’t actually add up… Where didthe extra 500k appear from? Come on now… that’s some shoddy addition there!
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Like #1, I am simply amazed by the overall expenditure. Every single person on the island, man, woman and child, had to put about £120 into this. I can understand the principle that it helps to have bits of grass in places around the town (albeit with a car parking penalty for others) to improve the quality of life for the immediate locals, but it should be done at lower cost. Therefore, of course, I also agree with #8 that the £900K should have gone back to the public purse. Minor point, but I also wonder how much energy is wasted by those water sprays (or whatever they are called).
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Scrutineer,
I think you are reffering to the car wash!!!!
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TRANSPORT Minister Kevin Lewis needs to face a vote of no confidence over this,quite frankly,waste of public money.And if I was rich enough I would persue him personally through the civil courts to pay this money back.Enough is enough!
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Maybe we can all start a Class Action?
The only way these people will learn is if/when we start biting back!
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Couldn’t agree more!Any advocates out there prepared to take this up?
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Kevin Lewis wasn’t minister when any of this happened, how can he face a vote of no confidence over it?
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Talking about high quality finishes….
Take a drive (if you can afford the petrol) from Gorey to St Caths. On the bend where the picnic area is, a lovely dressed granite wall is being built.
Any need for this?
Really?
Would a block wall to with a skim or a wooden fence do the job if you want to hide the picnic area?
Talk about spending money for moneys sake.
This is the high quality nonsense the States are still spending OUR money on.
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it maybe that its to stop cars crashing into a busy picnic area .
i would expect to see a granite wall with the granite castle as a back drop.
as for the finishes and facilites at the town park, they must of been the usual world class ,cutting edge of technology.
the new style park bench, ergonomicaly shaped for maximum comfort.
and the latest and greatest childrens park equipment.
are there toilets , they must be first class with hand made tiles , and taps like not seen before controlled by sensors that know your hands are there .
and a automatic bidet wash system for the toilet bowl. fact is the public may never know .
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This so called park is a disgrace, a badly designed disgrace!!
It should be dug up and let private enterpise do it with an underground car park as they said they would, and not cost the States a penny.
Whilst this Island has amateurs as politicians then we will see more and more of this our hard earned cash wasted.
Just look at Pryke at Health, out of her depth, the civil servants love it, same with Lewis, Ozouf oh! all of ‘em Gorst as well.
We are all in it till the end of time!!
Spend all your savings and draw your Income Support and you won’t get so hot under the collar.
Harry
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I have to say that I was in the ‘no’ camp when the idea of the Park was taken off the shelf, dusted down and put into action. In the ‘no’ camp simply because I thought there were far more important things to be spending the money on at this time. I am still amazed by how the vote was accepted, when a member of the House immediately identified that he had bungled for lack of a better word. But that is history as they say.
As to the park itself – I agree, its a glorified child’s play area with some space for parents to sit around. I was always under the impression that Springfield was purchased by the States to provide just this form of amenity for the north east section of town – but then for a reason I still cannot fathom they chopped the north west corner off to form part of the traffic management system. Always seemed daft to me – demolish the old buildings and you have space for a roundabout and then what is current the slip road and a car park could have been the Park.
I digress – there is something very wrong with the way the States continually mismanage projects and have massive overspends. Some simple accounting needs to be in place with civil servants entrusted to ensure overspends don’t occur. I for one would be prepared to see a bonus payment scheme for someone to oversee such projects and be able to make a £ 10,000 bonus for the scheme completed in budget on time. With the flip side being no bonus and loss of the job for failure. Might focus some minds. If paying out £ 10,000 prevented a loss of £ 3,000,000 then it must be worth it.
As for the ‘quality finish’ – I agree with a previous comment if you are instructed to build a cafe then build it. If you don’t get it built because of lack of funds – ask for more or hand back the money you are holding, don’t spend it on anything else. One word – disgraceful.
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I really think there should be a cafe. A park without a cafe is a park lacking a high quality finish! We were promised a cafe so where is it?
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are we getting value for money? how would we know we don’t get to see the receipts.
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Sounds like its been spent on some very expensive bull oops i mean MANURE as far as i,m concerned
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If 70% of twelve million was clean up of toxic earth then someone is having a laugh and this must be the prime target for the Auditor General Mr Chris Swinson ( remit to make sure the public get value for money )to examine. As anyone knows a bulldozer plus JcB and thirty or even fifty lorries of top soil is never going to cost 7 or so million.
Could it be States departments invoicing each other at ridiculous rates to pay their inflated wage costs as the real reason for the frankly off the scale cost of a simple park with some granite ( imported ) obviously the costs need scrutiny and then publishing. Any bets on the big under the carpet treatment.Why are the politicians so quiet ?
Davey.
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i think a ship was involved to take it away from jersey.
to who knows where .
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the thin wallet, I agree, and as Jersey often berths small freighters for scrap metal etc, there will obviously be a cost, so lets help the States to be transparent so they can prove that the taxpayer received value for money.The accounts should look something like this.
Moving earth ( amount of tonnage) =
Shipping charges for tonnage =
Cost of plant hire.
Cost per tonne of earth moved for shipping.
Cost and address of export site to take toxic earth including tonnage.
Planning Costs =
Labour costs for states departments above regular employment costs.
Consultant cost breakdown and list of consultants =
Etc. Etc.
You see Minister Lewis, it is not so very difficult or has the States of Jersey something to hide ?
Davey West
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Some great points made. A pattern has emerged in relation to oversight and governance of projects. Cast your minds back to the energy from waste plant and more recently the rumours relating to the airport control tower. I’m sure this is on the C&AG’s radar..
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Incidentally, the Ladies toilets are closed at the monent in our expensive Town Park due to vandalism, maybe that is why there is no cafe, it would have been a regular target, and what about the CCTV cameras, have they cut back on them too?
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What a brilliant answer from TTS, says absolutely nothing, typical Civil Service garbage. They didn’t even bother to cite the usual rubbish about “commercial sensitivity” as they are so used to getting away with these outrageous “answers”. It isn’t the current Minister’s fault (it was all rushed through so that Jackson could open it) but Lewis must bring his Civil Servants to heel and extract proper answers. No answer equals no job. This is unsatisfactory performance and whoever wrote the “answer” should be sacked for incompetence and pure arrogance by answering in such a manner. He/she probably received an increment for satisfactory performance in obfuscation! When is this sort of mismanagement satisfactory? A couple of years in the private sector for these mandarins might give them a sense of reality although I doubt that anyone one would employ them.
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Well, I can tell you one very IMPORTANT “finish” which is not quality in this new park……the shrubbery…..most of the plants look DEAD already!!!
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i was looking at the price tag that was on one of the dead or dead looking plants £28.00. my be mr crowcroft would swap some nice plants from the parish nursery( if they still have one ) for the compleation of the pavements that were userped and damaged in the construction?
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