Email about whatdotheyknow.com

Hello Mr Norris

In response to your email you are correct in assuming that if the reply goes to Whatdotheyknow then it is already published. However I would refer you to my previous response and ask that you consider the potential loss that the Council may incur by further distributing the information. The site Whatdotheyknow is very useful to requesters and  for the majority of requests there is no issue in information being available. It would be very unfortunate  if we had to stop replying to this web site even for one or two requesters because information supplied was not being used with consideration.

Regards

FOI Team

No Third Party Interest in Central Business District

Just before Stoke on Trent City Council requested that I stopped asking questions about the Central Business District, (possible because they don’t have any answers) They informed me that  “The Council is not aware of a third party interest at this stage but based on earlier soft market testing by Genr8 any potential interest was conditional on the delivery of the initial phase to the City Council or equivalent.”

Vexatious FOI requests?

Freedom Of Information requests made

Using the website WhatDoTheyKnow over the past 8 mths I’ve submitted the 3 questions in relation to the proposed building of a New Civic Centre.

6th June 2012

Dear Stoke on Trent City Council,

Please provide the list of Council Buildings across the City that
are under consideration to close and relocate to the City Business
District

Are Efficiency measures and Capital Receipts the real reason?

The Council have now revealed that only the below buildings are up for closure and Sale?

Civic Centre/Stoke Town Hall/Kingsway Car Park/Spode

Gordon House

Swann House

Swift House & Warehouse

City Centre Library

Hanley Town Hall

Longton Area Social Services Office (due to poor quality of building)

Meir Local Centre

The Mount

Genr8 Developments in funding difficulties

From The Business Desk

TALKS between ITV and regional developer Genr8 Developments over the sale of the Granada’s 14-acre Quay Street complex in Manchester have fallen through, according to PropertyWeek.com.

What has John van de Laarschot done?

What has John van de Laarschot done to deserve pocketing a £5,400 increase in his basic salary

The chief executive has to undertake a performance appraisal with the leader of the council and the human resources committee to assess his performance and set targets for the forthcoming 12 months before he can receive an increment.

I asked the Council :

What were the Key points of his performance review?

What targets were set that he had to meet?

The Reply

Genr8 Consultation

At the Consultation were Cllr Meredith and Cllr Platt along with 3 gentlemen representing Genr8, I asked how long meadow and trees were likely to be there – 6mth to 2 yrs, and that trees were to be planted in Pots so they can be moved around the site. I then asked about parking and was told there was already plenty of parking over the road on Hinde Street, when I showed that they planned to build on there, he then said there was plenty of on street parking on Warner Street & also they had consider or were considering Potteries way for on street parking.

Festival Park 25yr Celebration Event

Last April Guerrilla knitting gardener Ruthie Ford staged a giant woollen floral attack on the Stoke-on-Trent National Garden Festival Park to celebrate Garden Festival